Greenbrier Deviled Oxtails

THE FACT THAT BEEF HAS NEVER PLAYED THE SAME leading role as pork or poultry in Southern cooking explains partly why the tough, bony, but extremely flavorful oxtail has not been used more (despite the wide popularity of short ribs). Today, however, oxtails are much more available in supermarkets than in the past, and since they lend themselves so beautifully to soups and slow braising, it’s a shame not to exploit their potential. I remember one exceptional oxtail and vegetable soup I ate at a friend’s home in Oxford, Mississippi, but without question, these crusty deviled oxtails I relished at the renowned Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, serve to illustrate just how glorious this lowly cut of beef can be.

MAKES: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 pounds oxtails, cut into 2-inch sections and trimmed of excess fat
• 3 cups water
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 1 celery rib, cracked in thirds
• 1 carrot, scraped and cut into thirds
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1⁄2 cup sour cream
• 1⁄4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• 2 cups dry bread crumbs
• 4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick) butter, melted

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large casserole, combine the oxtails, water, onion, celery, carrot, thyme, and bay leaf. Cover the casserole and braise in the oven until the oxtails are tender but not falling apart, which takes about 2.5 hours.
3. Uncover the casserole and let the oxtails cool.
4. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir until well blended and set aside.
5. Place the bread crumbs in a wide, shallow bowl and set aside.
6. Preheat the oven broiler.
7. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the oxtails to paper towels and pat them dry.
8. Coat the oxtails completely with the sour cream mixture.
9. Dredge the oxtails in the bread crumbs, ensuring they are well coated.
10. Arrange the coated oxtails in a single layer in a greased baking pan.
11. Drizzle the melted butter over the oxtails.
12. Place the baking pan about 4 inches from the heat source and broil the oxtails, turning once, until they become golden brown and crusty, which takes about 12 to 15 minutes.
13. Serve the oxtails piping hot.