It is a delicious way to cook oxtail and I strongly recommend that you try it. When I buy an oxtail, I make soup with the last small parts of the tail, and cook the 4 or 5 bigger pieces. One oxtail really goes a long way.
Ingredients: 1 oxtail 4 – 5 tablespoonfuls Olive oil 1 large onion grated 2 cloves of garlic 1 bay leaf 1 wine glass red wine ½ orange 4 large tomatoes chopped in small pieces (or a can of tomatoes) 4 – 5 pieces of allspice 1 stick cinnamon 1 – 2 pinches of crushed chilies (if liked and as much as you like) Salt & pepper 1 packet macaroni no. 2 (ziti) 2 – 3 tablespoonfuls butter or margarine Grated cheese preferably myzithra or kefalotyri
Directions:
Put the olive oil in a large bottomed pot. When it is hot sauté the pieces of oxtail on all sides until they are nicely browned. Put them on a plate. Put the onion in the pot and sauté for 5 minutes and then add the garlic. Sauté for a further 2 – 3 minutes. Return the pieces of the oxtail in the pot. Pour in the wine and let it evaporate. Then add the tomatoes, the bay leaf, the allspice, the cinnamon, salt and pepper. Squeeze the orange in the pot and ten put in the rest of the orange. Stir gently and simmer for about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Check to see if the meat is soft. If it is still a bit tough, simmer for a while longer, checking now and then. When the meat is tender, taste it and adjust seasonings. Add the crushed chilies if liked. Remove the orange, the cinnamon and the allspice. There should be about 2 – 2 1/2 cups of sauce left.
In the meantime, bring a pot of water to the boil. When it starts boiling add some salt and the macaroni. Stir and boil the macaroni until it is al dente according to the directions on the package. When it is ready drain it. Put 2 – 3 tablespoonfuls of butter or margarine in the pot to melt. When it is melted return the macaroni to the pot and stir it so that it is coated with the butter.
To serve, place one piece of the oxtail on top of the macaroni. Drizzle the sauce over it and sprinkle grated cheese on top. This dish can be accompanied by a nice mixed green salad, feta cheese and fresh crusty bread.