Oxtail

Know this

It is the actual tail, cut into rounds, each one a disc of meat wrapped around a knuckle of bone and marrow. It used to be the cheapest thing in the case, the cut nobody wanted, and it is now one of the most expensive per pound because Caribbean, Korean and Chinese kitchens never stopped knowing what it was worth. What you are paying for is collagen. No other cut turns a braise into something that coats your lips the way this does. Chef secret: the rounds are not interchangeable. The thick ones from the base of the tail are mostly meat, the ones from the tip are mostly bone and gristle, and shops will happily sell you a bag of tips at the same price. Ask for base cuts, or buy a whole tail and put the skinny end into stock.

Cook

Brown the rounds hard, then braise low for at least three hours, closer to four. Chill the pot overnight and lift the fat off in a sheet the next day, and you will know you did it right when the liquid underneath has set to jelly.

Season

Any time, but it belongs to cold weather and a long afternoon.

Best pairings

red wine · tomato · celery · onion · thyme · star anise

Also worth trying: carrot, garlic, bay, soy, ginger, scotch bonnet, allspice, butter beans, gremolata, polenta, orange peel, marrow.

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