Asian Oxtails

To celebrate the snow and my new kitchen I wanted to make something yummy and cozy. David Chang published an oxtail braise in the Times awhile back which I could not find so this is my version. After browning the oxtails and then carrots, celery, garlic and finely diced parsnip all went in the oven with soy sauce, red wine and beef stock. Also a bay leaf, slices of ginger, star anise and a cinamon stick. And about 1/2 cup of kombu broken into small pieces. Kombu adds a subtle sea flavor and thickens slightly it seems. 3 hrs at 250 degrees produced falling off the bone succulent meat and plenty of delicious sauce to eat with rice. We ate platefuls of the stew with braised bok choy.

The leftovers will be even better heated gently in the oven. I went one small step further, pulling the meat off the bones and reheating then serving over bowls of soba noodles with a dash of chili sauce and a sprinkling of scallions.