Smoked Oxtails with Puerto Rican Rice

 Ingredients for Oxtails: 

2 packages of oxtails - about 8 total which is about 3-4 pounds
1/4 cup Spiceology Cowboy Crust Espresso chili Rub (you can find on Amazon) - or your favorite bbq rub.  
3 cups beef broth
1 cup red wine (I used Syrah tonight)
1/4 balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire
1 TBSP better than bouillon beef base
1 TBSP tomato paste
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBSP salt
1 tsp pepper
dash of liquid smoke
Optional: garnish with green onion

Directions:

1. Season your oxtails with Cowboy Crust rub and a little salt and pepper about 2-6 hours before cooking.  Make sure to coat all sides. Keep refrigerated. 

2. Prepare a gas grill or smoker to 275 degrees. Today I did hickory chip wood box on the left burner on high heat. Water bowl in the center and oxtails to the right. The only burner on was the far left where the woodchips were. Cook at 275 degrees for 1 hour. 

3. Flip, cook another hour. 

4. During this hour, make your braising liquid. In a dutch oven you can put on the grill, heat oil and add carrot, celery and onion with a little salt and pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes. 

5. Add garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes. Stir in worcestershire, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and red wine. Reduce for 3 minutes. 

6. Add beef bouillon and beef beef broth along with liquid smoke. 

7. Reduce for 10 minutes. 

8. When oxtails have smoked for 2 hours, take the braising liquid pot out on the grill. Add oxtails into the liquid and cover with foil. Continue to cook for another 2.5 hours. They're done when you stick a fork in them and they are tender, the fork comes out without a fight and they are almost falling apart.

 

9. Take the oxtails out of the liquid and place on a plate covered with foil. Drain the liquid. Reduce the liquid on the stove for 2-3 minutes or until a desired consistency. Taste. 

10. Serve oxtails over the rice with a little extra sauce on top. Garnish with green onion. 

Ingredients for Rice: 

3 cups of medium grain rice
2 small boneless pork chops, cut into small cube pieces

1/2 of a small onion, diced
1/4 cup bacon fat
1/2 cup sofrito
1/2 cup tomato sauce
6 manzanilla olives, pitted, and diced
1 tsp chicken bouillon
2 cups water, plus the liquid from the can of beans and a bit of water to make 1/2 cup. 
15.5 oz of northern white beans or pigeon peas (I couldn't find pigeon peas so I used white beans today), rinse but save the can liquid

2 packets of Sazon con achiote (1 for the pork and 1 for the liquid mixture)

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp pepper

2 cups of water

Directions: 

1. When your meat has 1 hour left, prepare your rice. Rinse it and set it aside. 

2. Combine the tomato sauce, 1 packet of sazon, olives, beans, chicken bouillon, sofrito. 

3. Heat a large dutch oven to medium high with the bacon fat. Season the pork with garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, pepper and 1 packet of Sazon. 

4. Add the pork and onion to the pan and leave alone. Let a crust form. After about 3 minutes, stir. Let a crust form again. 

5. Add in your 2 cups of water. Use your bean can liquid and add water to equal 1/2 cup. Add that to the pot. Add all of your other ingredients you combined in a bowl (not the rice). Stir. Bring to a boil. 

6. Taste your liquid here. It should be very flavorful and on the edge of a little salty as it will absorb in the rice and it won't end up salty.  

7. Add your rice and stir to distribute evenly.  Cook on high, uncovered until you can see the rice at the top and you don't see anymore liquid bubbling. No stirring.

8. Reduce heat to low. Cover the top with foil and put the lid on.  Cook for about 10 minutes without peeking. 

9. Peek and check to see if it's sticking to the bottom and if the rice is pulling apart. If so, turn the rice. Scrape it from the bottom and move towards the center. Try not to stir too much, just one time around the pot. Cover again and cook another 5-10 minutes or until rice is tender. 

10. The rice is done when it's tender and dry. Turn off the heat and keep warm. 

Serve rice on the bottom, oxtails on the top and a drizzle of sauce. Garnish with green onion. My husband used Dirty Dick Tropical hot sauce on this too! 

Wine pairing: 

K Vitners

Milbrandt Syrah

2019

Wahlike Slope, Washington