Oxtails in red wine sauce

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

3 tb Vegetables oil
4 To 4 1/2 pounds oxtails
4 Celery stalks chopped
2 Carrots chopped
2 Leeks chopped (white and -pale green parts only)
1 Onion chopped
6 Garlic cloves chopped
1 750-ml bottle dry red wine
12 Sprigs fresh thyme
12 Sprigs fresh parsley
8 Whole cloves
4 Bay leaves
5 c Chicken stock or canned -low-salt broth
2 tb All purpose flour

Instructions:

Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over high heat. Season oxtails with salt and pepper. Add to Dutch oven and cook until brown on all sides about 12 minutes. Transfer oxtails to platter. Add celery carrots leeks onion and garlic to pot and sauté until golden brown about 8 minutes. Arrange oxtails over vegetables. Add wine thyme parsley cloves and bay leaves. Boil until liquid is reduced by half about 15 minutes. Add stock. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover Dutch oven tightly and simmer until meat is very tender about 1 1/2 hours. Remove oxtails from cooking liquid. Tent with foil to keep warm. Strain cooking liquid. Skim fat from surface and reserve. Transfer 2 tablespoons skimmed fat to heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir until mixture browns about 10 minutes. Whisk in cooking liquid. Simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat back of spoon and is reduced to 2 cups stirring frequently about 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Return oxtails to sauce cover and refrigerate.) Rewarm oxtails in sauce over low heat. Transfer to large bowl and serve. Bon Appetit October 1995 Source: Hilaire; London England