To put it bluntly, i’m disenchanted. Fine, disenchanted is a harsh word- but the syllables un-in-spi-red, do seem to be rushing in and out of my head on a much more frequent basis. I wish there was a story to weave here, out of the very few free moments I have away from my job and the daily acts of life. Not much springs to mind though. The only consistent craving, feeling, sentiment, I’ve been having (well, food related craving that is) has to do with meat. So let’s take it from there.
Meat: there’s protein, combined with fat. And with these two miraculous elements, beautiful things can happen.
I recently thawed some ox tails from my freezer.
I love the less used/less loved cuts of meats. One, they’re generally cheaper, and two, the recipes that spring forth from them generally seem to be more original. For example, Blue Ribbons makes a marmalade out of their ox tails that they serve with their bone marrow.
I was craving it. I was craving creating a dish from start to finish. I was craving being responsible (creating the dish versus paying for it out). I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I had recently picked up some japanese eggplant and shallots from the greenmarket in Union Square. There was something to be had here.
Once seasoned well with salt and pepper, I seared off the ox tails.
Next came the eggplants and the shallots. I wanted to slowly caramelize them. Shallots, obviously, can become very sweet, but eggplant (especially japanese eggplant) holds the same potential if cooked the right way. Once there, the ox tails went back into the pot, with some cherry wheat beer and broth. I let it cook for about 4 (ish) hours.
Once the meat was tender, I removed it from the bone and shredded it into slightly smaller pieces.
Then the meat and bones went back into the pot. Then tomatoes, worscheter sauce, soy sauce, and maple syrup were added and I let the thing reduce down again for a few more hours, adjusting the seasoning here and there. I was going for an almost scum-like texture, or as Blue Ribbon calls is: marmalade. Towards the end of this whole process, something flavour wise didn’t seem quite right. I saw a bottle of sherry sitting on my counter. I added a splash, and well, liked what I got.
A dish like this can be used many ways: as an accompaniment for bone marrow, on top of polenta or mashed potatoes, on its own as a ragu, or for the late night fix, a topper for nachos (sooo good, especially after a harsh, late, day at work).
As for getting GOOD cuts or “WEIRD” cuts of meat, there are many places in the city. My personal favorite, however, is Dickson Farmstand Meats. For more information on them go to their store in Chelsea Market or visit their website: http://dicksonsfarmstand.com/.
