Oxtail Agrodolce Recipe. Oxtail Agrodolce is a special-occasion Italian dish with a subtle sweetness bursting through the complex yet light sauce.
Serves 8-10
Oxtail And Base Sauce
3 carrots, peeled
2 large brown onions, peeled
3 celery sticks
1 leek
3kg oxtail, cut into 6cm pieces
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
handful parsley stalks
sprig of thyme
½ cup caster sugar
150ml red wine vinegar
Finishing The Sauce
2 leeks, cleaned and trimmed to
tender white leaves
4 stems from heart of celery
2 carrots, peeled
125ml extra virgin olive oil
oxtail meat from oxtail and base sauce recipe
base sauce from oxtail and base sauce recipe
For oxtail and base sauce, wash vegetables and chop into 2cm pieces. Place into a large stock pot with oxtail, peppercorns, bay leaf and herbs.
Cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, skimming off scum that rises to the surface.
Reduce to a simmer. Cook for 5-6 hours so oxtail meat is tender. Remove oxtail and cool. Strip meat from bones and reserve meat. Strain stock, discarding vegetables. Cool, then store in fridge.
Once stock is cold, remove surface fat. Strain through muslin into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce by three quarters.
Meanwhile, boil caster sugar with ¼ cup water until a golden caramel forms. Remove from heat and carefully add red wine vinegar.
Once mixture has stopped bubbling, place saucepan onto medium heat. Simmer liquid, stirring with a spoon until sugar has dissolved.
Add ½ the vinegar-sugar mixture to the reduced stock. Reduce by half again, taste for a balanced seasoning and acidity. Add more vinegar-sugar mixture if needed or a little more salt.
To finish, wash leeks, celery and carrots and cut into matchsticks. Add olive oil to a wide pan over high heat. Lightly fry vegetables for 2-3 minutes until softened.
Add oxtail meat. Once meat is warmed through, add enough base sauce to bind all the ingredients so mixture is moist.
Season to taste and serve immediately.