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Tender slow-braised oxtails cooked in a sweet, smoky barbecue sauce with a hint of bourbon, resulting in fall-off-the-bone meat with a caramelized, sticky glaze.

Ingredients

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  • Oxtails (quantity not specified)
  • 1 tablespoon browning
  • ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
  • Garlic powder (amount not specified)
  • Onion powder (amount not specified)
  • Paprika (amount not specified)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Black pepper (to taste)
  • Brown sugar (amount not specified)
  • Cornstarch (amount not specified)
  • 3 cups barbecue sauce
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • ¼ cup bourbon

Instructions

  1. (Optional) Heat a heavy skillet over high heat and sear oxtails in batches until deeply browned, avoiding overcrowding.
  2. Place oxtails in a large bowl; mix 1 tablespoon browning with ½ teaspoon liquid smoke and pour over the meat, tossing to coat.
  3. Sprinkle garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper over the oxtails; add brown sugar and cornstarch and toss until well coated.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine 3 cups barbecue sauce and 2 cups water; stir in 1 cup beef broth and ¼ cup bourbon until smooth.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
  6. Layer the seasoned oxtails in a cast-iron skillet or other oven-safe dish.
  7. Pour the barbecue sauce mixture evenly over the oxtails and cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil.
  8. (Slow-cooker alternative) After seasoning, place oxtails in a slow cooker, pour the sauce over them, and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours; uncover and cook 20–30 minutes to thicken if desired.
  9. Place the covered dish in the preheated oven and bake about 5 hours, adding a little hot water or broth during cooking if the liquid level drops.
  10. During the last 20–30 minutes of cooking, remove the lid to reduce and thicken the sauce, or transfer oxtails to a baking sheet, brush with sauce and broil 1–3 minutes until caramelized (watch closely).
  11. Remove the skillet from the oven, uncover, let the oxtails rest a few minutes, and skim off any excess fat from the surface.
  12. If the sauce is too runny, remove the oxtails and simmer the sauce on the stove until thickened, or whisk in a cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon cold water) and simmer until thick.

Notes

If your sauce feels too runny after cooking, just take out the oxtails and let the sauce simmer on the stove until it thickens., Oxtails have natural fat; for a cleaner taste, skim off the extra fat once cooking is done., Searing the oxtails before slow cooking adds deeper flavor but avoid overcrowding the pan., Adjust salt carefully as barbecue sauce and beef broth already add saltiness., If the sauce is too sweet, add a splash of apple cider vinegar or a few dashes of hot sauce to brighten flavor., Keep the meat moist by slow cooking covered in a heavy Dutch oven or cast iron with a tight lid or foil., If oxtails are tough after 5 hours, continue braising in 30-45 minute intervals., Barbecue oxtails taste better the next day as flavors meld; reheat gently with broth to keep moist.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingcrumbs.com/barbecue-oxtails-slow-cooked-to-perfection/