More oxtail

Last week saw what looks to have been the second oxtail of the season, the last having been towards the end of November, noticed at reference 1. On which occasion we had opted for lunch time, which even with an early start meant a slow cooking time of something under eight hours, which in the event I thought not quite long enough.

With the present event being prompted by spotting several packets of oxtail on display at the Manor Green Road butcher, where I had popped in for a spot of white pudding and to order some pork. So I took one packet, as I recall around £15, so not a cheap dish as it did us just the one meal. But worth every penny as it turned out.

The snap above being the scene just before 06:00. Oxtail resting on four crisp, middle sized onions, coarsely chopped. Plus something less than half a pint of water. Covered and into the oven at 100°C. Looked in but left it alone until 14:00 when there was no action. Looked again at 15:45 at which point I drained off the fat and sprinkled four quite large mushrooms on top. Not very fresh, so stalks removed and chopped, caps peeled, cut into quarters.

Served at 17:00 with mashed potato, mashed swede and a fair imitation of sprouting broccoli. At least more like sprouting broccoli than calabrese. BH explained that some care was needed when peeling the sweded, care to make sure that all the fibrous outer layers had been removed, otherwise, even when cooked, the swede would not mash. Edible but not good.

Served with what seems to have been our last bottle of Pierre Précieuse. Which is a pity as the people at Guildford seem to have run out. Have to wait for the next harvest or something. Query out with them.

The verdict was that the extra cooking time was the way forward, despite my worrying about possible overcooking at 16:00. Soft and succulent, but still a roast meat rather than a boiled meat - this last having been the way we cooked oxtail for a long time - until, in fact, I learned about roast in a South American styled eatery in what had been the Wheatsheaf in South Lambeth Road in Vauxhall. A fine pub in its day: old fashioned and quiet, but did not make enough money to suit the people who took over from the long serving brothers who had had the place most of the time that I knew it, but who had retired to the seaside.

Mushrooms very successful, an excellent addition to the blend. Will add them again, should they be available on the day. While the onions added a little something to the mashed potato.

Rhubarb from Sainsbury's and a few brick dates from Cullompton for dessert, passing up on grapes on this occasion.

Debris handed over to the council for recycling, it being a bit much for the crows and not wanting to encourage the foxes.

Wound up the day with the first sighting of the moon for a while. A waxing crescent to the west, maybe 35° above the horizon, high enough to be quite awkward to see from the study window. Far too late to be venturing outside. 

PS: Bing tells me that the proper term for a waning crescent, a phrase in common enough parlance, is an old moon. But as long as waning crescents are in common parlance, adding the 'waxing' to crescent, despite the irritating tautology is appropriate.

Reference 1: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/11/oxtail.html.

Reference 2: http://pumpkinstrokemarrow.blogspot.com/2009/04/to-chrome-or-not-to-chrome.html. What appears to be the first outing in these pages for the Wheatsheaf.