Oxtail Ragu with Plantain Gnocchi

Oxtail Ragu with Plantain Gnocchi. Fresh, homemade plantain gnocchi topped with oxtails that have been braised for hours in a rich tomato sauce flavored with lots of red wine. Umm say WHAT?!!! There really are no words to describe how good this recipe is. Decadent. Scrumptious. OMG amazing! Nothing will be good enough! You just have to try this recipe for yourself. Perfect for a special date night, or as a treat to yourself (because yes, you deserve it).

Happy Sunday.

It’s been a heavy week. I read that the Black Lives Matter protests recently become the largest protest in history, with all 50 US states and 18 countries participating. But there is still so much to be done. David McAtee, a fellow food lover, was killed by police on Monday in front of his business, his body left in the street for hours. Friday would have been Breonna Taylor’s 27th birthday.

With all that’s happening in the world, I’ve gotten more intentional about cultivating and protecting my joy. And as odd as it sounds coming from someone who doesn’t eat meat, one thing that brings me extreme joy is oxtail. 364 days out of the year I’m pescatarian, but on the 365th day, I destroy a plate (ok, maybe multiple plates) of oxtails. There’s just something so comforting about oxtails. They bring back so many good memories. For instance, oxtails remind me of all the times my mom would search out every grocery store in the city to make sure she found the perfect pieces of fresh oxtail for Sunday dinner. They also bring back memories of all the Christmas dinners I’ve had with my aunts and uncles around a huge table enjoying a Jamaican feast of oxtails, rice and peas, curry goat, sorrel and black cake.

I think these memories are why I was so intent on making an oxtail recipe this week. A few weeks ago, I saw someone make lamb ragu and potato gnocchi in an Instagram story. I thought to myself “wow, that looks great!” But then, like a true Jamaican, I proceeded to think, “that would be even better with oxtails and plantain!” At the time I had no clue oxtail ragu was even a thing (it is). And I could not conceive of a world where one cooks oxtails without a pressure cooker or (gasp!) without butter beans. But let me tell you, this oxtail ragu is life changing. It’s honestly the best thing I’ve ever made. I broke out into actual song AND dance multiple times while eating this.

In the process of making this recipe, I was flooded with good memories. The memories don’t erase the reality of what’s happening in this world, but they remind me that there are always bright spots that we can grab hold of.

The recipe…

The star of this dish is the oxtails. This is where I give a special shout out to my Whole Foods butcher Giovanni, who took the time to search the store for the best fresh oxtails and cut them exactly how I wanted. His generosity made my entire day. I could not let this recipe fail after that!

The remaining ingredients are exactly what you’d expect from a ragu, namely tomatoes, tomato paste, and wine. To add a little heat, I used some harissa paste, a habanero, and some paprika. Obviously, that sounds like a lot, but remember we are adding a ton of liquid to this recipe, so we need to pump up the flavors. If you still think it’s too much heat for you, just adjust to your taste.

It’s important to brown the oxtails before we add them to the sauce, as browning allows the oxtails to develop flavor and a nice “bark.” It takes only a few minutes to brown the oxtails, but be sure not to skip this step.

I chose to make my oxtail ragu in a dutch oven. While the recipe is very time consuming, it’s so simple. All you have to do is season the oxtails, brown them, make a sauce, and let them cook down slowly for hours. Your house will smell amazing!

You can cook this in a slow cooker or use a pressure cooker to tenderize the meat before cooking it down. Let me know what method you use in the comments below so I can adjust the recipe notes accordingly.

Next, the plantain gnocchi. It’s the perfect compliment. These gnocchi are like a lighter, smaller version of Jamaican “spinnas” (aka spinners) which is what we call the little spiral shaped dumplings we make and often add to soups and stews (think stew peas and rice or red peas soup).

I’ve made plantain gnocchi before, but this gnocchi recipe is even easier. It’s only 4 ingredients, all of which you probably already have in your pantry, and you can prepare it while the oxtails are braising in the oven. For this recipe, it’s important to use ripe, but not overripe, plantains. That means the outside of the plantain should be a deep yellow, not black. If the plantains are too ripe, they will absorb a lot of water when boiled, which will affect the gnocchi. The goal here is to have a light, fluffy gnocchi. The dough will be sticky, but it should be manageable if you dust your hands and working space with flour. If not, add a bit more flour or place the dough in the fridge for a few minutes to allow it to firm up.

To shape the gnocchi, roll the dough into a large log, then cut into equal portions. Roll each portion into a small log and cut small squares. Use the back of a fork to roll each square into a gnocchi shape and to create ridges that will capture the sauce from the ragu.

Since the gnocchi are fresh, they only take about a minute or so to cook. You’ll know the gnocchi are ready when they float to the top of the water.

Finish the dish by adding a healthy serving of gnocchi to a plate, then topping with the sauce and meat from the oxtail ragu. Garnish with flat leaf parsley and some shredded Parmesan cheese. Once everything is assembled, I promise you it will disappear off your plate in seconds. I mean just look at how this meat melts off the bone! Chef’s kiss!

Share this recipe…

If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know by rating it and leaving a comment below. I would love to hear from you. And don’t forget to tag #sweetandsorrel on Instagram!

Oxtail Ragu with Plaintain Gnocchi

Author: Dani

5 from 1 vote

Fresh, homemade plantain gnocchi topped with oxtails that have been braised for hours in a rich tomato sauce flavored with lots of red wine.

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Prep Time 12 hours hrs

Cook Time 5 hours hrs

Servings 6 people

Course Main Course

Cuisine Caribbean

Ingredients

Oxtail Ragu

• 2 1/2 lb oxtails, cut into 2" sections (fat trimmed)
• 1 large onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can San Marzano tomatos
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 bottle red wine
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp harissa paste
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper
• 1 tsp browning
• 2 tbsp all purpose seasoning
• 1 lemon
• fresh thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp canola oil

Plantain Gnocchi

• 2 ripe plantains
• 1 egg
• 3 cups flour, plus more to roll out gnocchi
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• salt

Instructions 

Oxtail Ragu

• Clean oxtails and trim any excess fat. Season with all purpose seasoning, browning, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate for 3 hours (or preferably overnight).
• Preheat oven to 360 degrees F.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Brown oxtails on each side. Work in batches, making sure not to crowd the oxtails. Remove from pot and transfer to a plate.
• Add the remaining oil to the dutch oven and saute onions, carrots, and garlic, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste, fresh thyme, paprika, scotch bonnet pepper (remove seeds and finely chop), zest and juice of one lemon, diced San Marzano tomatoes, tomato paste, and brown sugar. Stir together and cook for another 5 minutes. Add red wine and beef stock to de-glaze. Bring to a boil, then add oxtails and stir to coat. Cover the dutch oven and place in the oven. Cook for approximately 3 1/2 - 4 hours, checking at the 2 hour mark to see if additional liquid is needed. If more than half the liquid has evaporated after 2 hours, add another 1/2 cup of stock.

Plantain Gnocchi

• Peel plantain and boil in salted water for about 12 minutes. You want the plantain to be cooked through, but not overly soft.
• Drain plantain and let it cool. Once plantain has cooled, use a potato ricer or a fork to mash the plantains. Make sure no clumps remain.
• Add flour and salt, then use a fork to make a well in the middle and pour in egg and olive oil. Beat the egg, then use your fork to slowly incorporate the flour, egg, and the mashed plantain. Once everything is incorporated, begin to kneed the dough. Be careful not to over knead. The dough will be sticky, but should form a ball. Add more flour as needed.
• Let dough rest in the fridge for 20 minutes. Then roll the dough into a log and cut into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log again, then cut off small squares. Hold each square in the palm of your hand and slowly roll the back of a fork across the surface of the gnocchi to shape the dumplings and create small wedges. The ridges will help the sauce stick to the pasta.
• Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add salt, then slowly add the gnocchi one by one. The gnocchi will be done when they rise to the top, approximately 1 minute. Use a strainer to remove the gnocchi from the pot.
• Assemble the dish by plating a spoonful of gnocchi onto a plate. Laddle some of the ragu sauce on top of the gnocchi, then add pieces of the oxtails. Top with fresh flat leaf parsley and shredded Parmesan cheese (optional).

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tag @sweetandsorrel on Instagram and hashtag it #sweetandsorrel so we can see all the deliciousness!

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Keyword gnocchi, oxtail, plantain, ragu