- Preheat oven 130°c fan assisted or 150°c without a fan (gas 2) or set the slow cooker.
- Make a Mirepoix by neatly chopping equal amounts of onion, carrot and celery or my preferred choice of celeriac, the root of the celery plus the spices and the garlic cloves.
- Take a large, heavy-based frying pan, and add a little oil & fry the oxtail and bacon on all sides then transfer to a casserole dish or slow cooker.
- Next fry the mirepoix in the same pan until lightly browned then add red wine, reduce by two thirds then add tomato puree, orange peel & the beef stock then reduce a little, thicken with a tablespoon cornflour mixed with a little cold water stirred into the boiling broth.
- Pour the sauce over the oxtail and vegetables then cover with a tight-fitting lid & place in the oven and cook for 3 hours, the meat should be tender & falling away from the bone.
- When cooked pass off the sauce through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan, add the prunes then reduce to a glossy finish then pour back over the meat ready to serve discarding the vegetables & spices.
method
to serve:
- Mashed potatoes, red cabbage pickle & hot mustard.
