08/30/2026
Oxtails (marked 50% off) met homemade pork broth, bacon–white-wine reduction, fresh thyme and Hungarian Gulyáskrém—then spent the afternoon braising low and very, very slow.
After resting overnight, they landed over sprouted brown rice in a gravy so rich it may require its own tax bracket.
What started out half off ended tasting like a million bucks!
LOW-AND-SLOW HUNGARIAN BACON-WINE BRAISED OXTAILS
Oxtails slowly braised with homemade pork broth, fresh thyme, Hungarian pepper paste and a bacon–white-wine reduction, then rested overnight and served over sprouted brown rice.
Serves: 3–4
Prep time: Approximately 30 minutes
Braising time: Approximately 5–6 hours
Best served: The following day
INGREDIENTS
• Approximately 2½ pounds beef oxtails
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon bacon fat or olive oil, only if needed
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 2 cups baby carrots, divided
• 4–5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian Gulyáskrém
• ⅓–½ cup bacon–white-wine reduction
• Approximately 2–3 cups homemade pork broth
• 6–8 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf, optional
• Cooked sprouted brown rice, for serving
GULYÁSKRÉM SUBSTITUTE
Most American kitchens will not have Gulyáskrém. Substitute 1 tablespoon tomato paste if necessary.
The finished dish will not have quite the same Hungarian pepper character, but it will still be deeply savory and delicious.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat the oven to 275°F.
2. Pat the oxtails very dry. Season lightly with salt and generously with black pepper. The Gulyáskrém, bacon reduction and broth may already contain salt.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the oxtails and toss until each piece has a thin, even coating. Shake off any excess flour.
4. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bacon fat or olive oil only if needed.
5. Brown the oxtails deeply on several sides, working in batches so they do not crowd the pot. This should take approximately 8–12 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned oxtails to a plate.
6. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and approximately half of the carrots. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring and scraping the browned bits from the bottom.
7. If using Gulyáskrém, add it with the garlic and cook for 30–60 seconds, stirring constantly.
If substituting tomato paste, cook the tomato paste for 1–2 minutes before adding the garlic. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
8. Pour in the bacon–white-wine reduction. Scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly and allow the reduction to bubble for approximately 1 minute.
9. Return the oxtails and their accumulated juices to the pot. Add the thyme and bay leaf.
10. Pour in enough pork broth to reach approximately two-thirds of the way up the oxtails. Do not completely submerge the meat.
11. Bring the liquid just to a gentle simmer on the stovetop. Cover the Dutch oven tightly and transfer it to the oven.
12. Braise for approximately 5–6 hours. Check the pot after the first hour. The liquid should barely tremble around the edges rather than actively boil.
HOT-OVEN NOTE: If the liquid bubbles more than very gently at 275°F, reduce the oven to 250°F. My hot-running oven required 250°F for the proper low-and-slow braise.
13. After approximately 3 hours, turn and rearrange the oxtails. Add the remaining carrots, replace the lid and return the pot to the oven.
14. Begin checking the largest oxtail around 4½–5 hours. It is ready when:
• A fork slides into the thickest meat with very little resistance.
• The meat separates easily when the fork is gently twisted.
• The meat has contracted from the ends of the bone.
• The center bone wiggles freely.
If the meat still feels tight, rubbery or chewy, cover the pot and continue braising in 30-minute increments.
15. Once the oxtails are completely tender, uncover the pot for the final 30–45 minutes only if the gravy needs reducing.
16. Remove the thyme stems and bay leaf. Taste the gravy before adding additional salt.
OVERNIGHT REST
For the best flavor, cool the oxtails in their gravy and refrigerate them within two hours of leaving the oven.
Leave the meat on the bones overnight. The following day, remove the solidified fat from the surface.
Reheat the oxtails gently, covered, at 250–275°F or over low heat on the stovetop. Add a splash of pork broth only if the gravy has become too thick.
Serve the large oxtails bone-in over sprouted brown rice. Meat from the small, fiddly pieces may be removed from the bones and returned to the gravy.
ESTIMATED MACROS
Per serving, based on four servings and including approximately ¾ cup cooked sprouted brown rice:
• Calories: 590–650
• Protein: 36–42 grams
• Fat: 24–31 grams
• Carbohydrates: 44–51 grams
Without the rice:
• Calories: 420–480
• Protein: 32–38 grams
• Fat: 23–29 grams
• Carbohydrates: 10–14 grams
These are estimates because oxtails vary substantially in meat-to-bone ratio. The final fat content also depends on how thoroughly the rendered fat is removed after chilling and how much gravy is served.
HEALTH BENEFITS
• Oxtail provides complete protein along with iron, zinc, vitamin B12, selenium and phosphorus.
• Its connective tissue becomes gelatin during the long braise, supplying glycine and other amino acids while naturally giving the gravy its silky texture.
• Carrots contribute beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A.
• Sprouted brown rice adds complex carbohydrates, magnesium and manganese.
• Serving the oxtails with carrots and brown rice stretches a relatively small amount of rich meat into a satisfying, balanced meal.
This is not a particularly light meal, but it is nutrient-dense, protein-rich and made entirely from recognizable ingredients.
