Braised Oxtails Soul Food Recipe

Gather the ingredients. Preheat oven to 325 F. In a 6-quart Dutch oven or heavy-duty large pot, warm canola oil over high heat until hot but not smoking. Season oxtails with salt and pepper. Using tongs, carefully lower half the oxtails into the oil to brown, cooking about 3 to 4 minutes per side. When both sides have been browned, transfer to a plate and reserve. Repeat cooking process with remaining oxtails. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions. Sauté, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for a few minutes until onions are translucent. Add garlic and tomato paste, mixing until combined. Season with salt and pepper, and add beef broth and thyme sprigs. Stir, and scrape the pan with the wooden spoon to dislodge any delicious caramelized bits in the pot. Using tongs, lower oxtails back into the pot. Increase the heat to high, and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover tightly with a lid, and transfer the pot to the preheated oven. Cook 2 hours, checking every 30 minutes to make certain the liquid level is maintained. (If the liquid is barely visible at any point during the cooking process, add 1 cup of water.) After 2 hours of cooking, remove the pot from the oven. Add carrots, parsnips, and turnips, and mix with the oxtails. Return to the oven for 1 to 1 1/2 additional hours until oxtails are fork-tender. Check the liquid level every 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool 10 to 15 minutes. Spoon off any fat from the top of the liquid, and discard thyme sprigs. Serve braised oxtails and vegetables over rice with the liquid spooned over it.