BRAISED OXTAIL TURNOVERS W/ SPICY TOMATO COULIS

BRAISED OXTAIL TURNOVERS W/ SPICY TOMATO COULIS image

Categories Beef Appetizer Braise Cocktail Party New Year's Eve Pastry

Yield 30 triangles

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

For Oxtail Turnovers:
1 bottle of red wine (decent Bordeaux or burgundy)
3-4 pounds oxtail pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots (chopped)
3 garlic cloves (chopped)
1 medium carrot (shredded)
1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
1 celery rib (chopped)
1-2 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
½ cup parsley (finely chopped for garnish)
2 cups beef broth/stock
box of phyllo dough defrosted
5-6 ounces of parmesan-reggiano (shredded)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a 4-6 quart heavy, oven proof sauce pan or Dutch oven, heat ½ of olive until very hot. Liberally salt and pepper oxtail pieces and then sear all sides and remove. Reduce heat, add remaining olive oil and use a wooden spoon to scrape up brown bits. Add onions, carrots and celery and sauté for 2 minutes. Add shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Add wine, beef broth and herbs and bring to a boil, reducing by about a 1/3. Place seared oxtail pieces in one layer back in the pan - liquid should just cover the tops. Braise oxtails, covered, in the middle of the oven for 3.5 to 5 hours, or until meat is very tender and nearly falling off the bone. Taste the braising liquid along the way. If too winey, add some beef bouillon or vegetable stock. If too meaty add vegetable stock or more wine. When oxtails are very tender remove with a slotted spoon and gently pull the meat off the bone using a tong and fork. Set aside. DO AHEAD: Cooked oxtails can be prepared one day in advance and refrigerated. Strain the braising mixture and reduce in a sauce pan until very thick and rich. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut sheets so folded once, you have a long narrow strip of phyllo. Use a brush to paint a small amount of butter down the sheet. Place a tablespoon or so of the oxtail in one corner of the sheet, spoon on a little of the reduction and sprinkle with the shredded parmesan. Fold into triangles following the diagram shown, using more butter at the end if necessary to adhere. Brush both sides of turnover with a little more butter and place on cookie sheet. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. DO AHEAD: You can par-bake for five minutes a few hours before guests arrive and finish them off under the broiler for a couple minutes when ready to serve. Arrange golden brown turnovers on a serving platter, garnish with tomato coulis in fancy, zigzag fashion and sprinkle with parsley.