Historically, the holidays were a time to gather with family and friends. Whether loved ones are across town or in different parts of the country, it can be a logistical nightmare. But thanks to Chef Elle, that’s one less thing to stress about. So at the request of Live At 9 viewers, she’s back with the second installment in her wildly popular entertaining series. Chef Elle kicked things off with cocktails. This time, it’s all about the appetizer.
Can’t wait that long? Pick up the ingredients while shopping for that Thanksgiving turkey. Surprise the football enthusiasts in your life. These are perfect while watching the game on Thursday.
As always, Chef Elle kept the recipes fresh, easy and delicious.
Oxtail Tostados as prepared by Chef Elle
Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs. oxtails
smoked Alderwood salt (ground)
pepper
1 whole garlic bulb (peeled)
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 t cumin
1 large onion (diced)
2 large poblano peppers (roasted)
2 chipotle peppers
1 Anaheim pepper
2 T grapeseed oil
64 oz. beef stock
Tools
sharp knife, fork or petite whisk, Dutch oven, tongs, fat separator
Old School Translation
c = cup; t = teaspoon; T = tablespoon
Procedure
Rinse oxtails and pat dry with paper towels. Season with smoked salt, pepper and cumin and set aside.
Place grapeseed oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oxtails and allow to develop a nice brown crust on all sides. If oxtails resist when turning, allow to brown a little longer. Remove oxtails. Place a couple of paper towels in tongs and remove excess oil from oven. Add oxtails, onion, garlic and beef stock. Cover with a lid and cook on medium-low heat until oxtails are tender.
Remove oxtails and strain stock to remove excess liquid fat. Remove and discard bay leaf. Add stock, onion, poblano peppers and garlic. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Incorporate slurry and cook until thick gravy forms. Add shredded oxtails and build tostados. Recipes yields approximately 32 servings. To accommodate a larger crowd, simply double or triple the ingredients.
Fresh Followers can get tips and additional recipes by visiting www.chefellegreen.net.
Easy Solutions: To make slurry, add 1T cold water and 1T cornstach. Stir until there are no lumps. To make fresh chips, start with fresh corn chips. Cut into desired shapes. Spritz with olive oil and bake for 10 minutes at 325 °F. (See It’s Corny Dip Segment for step-by-step instructions.) As always, the ingredients are organic and fresh. And for quality assurance and optimal results, Chef Elle suggests following the recipes as written and using products mentioned.
Live At 9 cooking segment sponsored by Double Door Marketing and Whole Foods Market.
© 2012 Elle Green All Rights Reserved. Chef Elle appears courtesy of Simple Conceptions. Recipes developed and tested by Elle Green and reprinted with permission. Credits: Food Styling and Photography: Hillary Rosenberg; Copywriting: Hillary Maloney; Home Cook Recipe Tester: Jolena Campbell
