Fettuccine with Braised Oxtail

PreparationPreparing to braise Preheat the oven to 375°F. Season the oxtails with salt and pepper. Searing the oxtail Set a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and pour in 2 tablespoons of the canola oil. Put the oxtails in the hot oil and cook until they are browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip them and get some color on the other side, about 5 minutes. Place the browned oxtails in a Dutch oven. Sautéing the vegetables Drain the fat from the sauté pan. Pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have browned and softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Toss in the sprigs of rosemary and thyme and cook until they are fragrant. Making the braising liquid Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the goodness from the bottom. Cook until the wine is reduced by three-quarters of its volume, 7 to 8 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Pour the braising liquid over the oxtail in the Dutch oven. Cover the Dutch oven and slide it into the oven. Braise until the meat starts to fall of the bone, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Taste a piece of the meat. Do you want more? You're done. Cooking the fettuccine Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Toss in the fettuccine and cook until it is a little less than al dente so that it will hold its shape. (Gluten-free pasta usually takes less time to cook than you think, especially when you are going by the manufacturer's directions on the box.) Preparing to make the sauce Remove the oxtails from the sauce and set them aside. Strain the sauce into a large saucepan. Put the saucepan over medium heat and begin reducing the liquid. Cutting the parsnips Meanwhile, slice the parsnips into small coins, starting from the thin end. When you reach halfway up the parsnip, slice it in half lengthwise. Continue cutting coins from the parsnip, the same size as those from the first half. Sautéing the vegetables Set a small sauté pan over medium-high heat and pour in the olive oil. Toss in the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until softened and wilted. Throw in the parsnips and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are browned and the parsnips are softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Toss in the shallots and cook, stirring, until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped rosemary and cook until it is fragrant. Making the sauce Spoon the sautéed vegetables into the stock in the saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce until it has thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the butter until it is incorporated into the sauce. Finishing the dish Add the cooked pasta to the sauce. Pick the meat off the oxtails and drop it into the sauce. Taste the sauce and season it with salt and pepper. To serve, spoon the pasta into large bowls and grate the Parmesan cheese over the top. Variations:You could replace the oxtail with veal or venison shanks for osso buco, or with braised chicken legs. You could use any hearty pasta that will retain its shape in this dish. Suggestions: You could serve this over rice or mashed potatoes. If you want to make a stock with oxtail instead, that stock would make a hearty soup. From Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef: A Love Story with 100 Tempting Recipes by Shauna James Ahern & Daniel Ahern. Copyright © 2010 by Shauna James Ahern and Daniel Ahern; photography © 2010 Lara Ferroni. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

PreparationPreparing to braise Preheat the oven to 375°F. Season the oxtails with salt and pepper. Searing the oxtail Set a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and pour in 2 tablespoons of the canola oil. Put the oxtails in the hot oil and cook until they are browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip them and get some color on the other side, about 5 minutes. Place the browned oxtails in a Dutch oven. Sautéing the vegetables Drain the fat from the sauté pan. Pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have browned and softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Toss in the sprigs of rosemary and thyme and cook until they are fragrant. Making the braising liquid Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the goodness from the bottom. Cook until the wine is reduced by three-quarters of its volume, 7 to 8 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Pour the braising liquid over the oxtail in the Dutch oven. Cover the Dutch oven and slide it into the oven. Braise until the meat starts to fall of the bone, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Taste a piece of the meat. Do you want more? You're done. Cooking the fettuccine Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Toss in the fettuccine and cook until it is a little less than al dente so that it will hold its shape. (Gluten-free pasta usually takes less time to cook than you think, especially when you are going by the manufacturer's directions on the box.) Preparing to make the sauce Remove the oxtails from the sauce and set them aside. Strain the sauce into a large saucepan. Put the saucepan over medium heat and begin reducing the liquid. Cutting the parsnips Meanwhile, slice the parsnips into small coins, starting from the thin end. When you reach halfway up the parsnip, slice it in half lengthwise. Continue cutting coins from the parsnip, the same size as those from the first half. Sautéing the vegetables Set a small sauté pan over medium-high heat and pour in the olive oil. Toss in the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until softened and wilted. Throw in the parsnips and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are browned and the parsnips are softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Toss in the shallots and cook, stirring, until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped rosemary and cook until it is fragrant. Making the sauce Spoon the sautéed vegetables into the stock in the saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce until it has thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the butter until it is incorporated into the sauce. Finishing the dish Add the cooked pasta to the sauce. Pick the meat off the oxtails and drop it into the sauce. Taste the sauce and season it with salt and pepper. To serve, spoon the pasta into large bowls and grate the Parmesan cheese over the top. Variations:You could replace the oxtail with veal or venison shanks for osso buco, or with braised chicken legs. You could use any hearty pasta that will retain its shape in this dish. Suggestions: You could serve this over rice or mashed potatoes. If you want to make a stock with oxtail instead, that stock would make a hearty soup. From Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef: A Love Story with 100 Tempting Recipes by Shauna James Ahern & Daniel Ahern. Copyright © 2010 by Shauna James Ahern and Daniel Ahern; photography © 2010 Lara Ferroni. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.