Traditional Oxtail Stew with Cheddar Oven Drop Biscuits Pressure Cooker Recipe

Traditional Oxtail Stew With Cheddar Oven Drop Biscuits Pressure Cooker Recipe

Ingredients

SERVES 4 – Cooker: 5- to 7-quart – Time: 45 minutes at HIGH pressure

OXTAILS

• 2 pounds oxtail pieces
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can chopped tomatoes in juice
• 1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small or ½ large bay leaf

CHEDDAR OVEN DROP BISCUITS

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup white or brown rice flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup shredded mild or sharp Cheddar cheese
• 3 tablespoons organic solid vegetable shortening or cold butter
• 1/3 to ½ cup buttermilk, as needed

TO FINISH

• 2 tablespoons dry or medium-dry sherry, or more to taste
• sea salt, if needed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (optional)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh flatleaf parsley

Method

1. In a plastic bag, toss the oxtails in the flour
2. In a 5- to 7-quart pressure cooker, heat the oil over medium-high heat until very hot
3. Shake the excess flour from the oxtail pieces
4. Brown the oxtail pieces well in batches in a single layer on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch for the larger pieces
5. Take care not to crowd the pan
6. As the oxtail pieces are browned, remove them to a plate
7. Add the onion to the pot and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring
8. Add the carrot and cook for about 1 minute more
9. Return the oxtails and any accumulated juice to the pot, nestling them into the vegetables
10. Add the tomatoes and their juice, broth, pepper, and bay leaf
11. If your broth was unsalted, add ½ teaspoon salt
12. Stir to combine
13. Close and lock the lid
14. Set the burner heat to high
15. When the cooker reaches HIGH pressure, reduce the burner heat as low as you can and still maintain HIGH pressure
16. Set a timer to cook for 45 minutes
17. While the oxtails are cooking, make the Cheddar biscuits
18. Preheat the oven to 400° F (375° F if using a Pyrex pie plate)
19. Lightly oil an 8-inch pie plate
20. Combine all the dry ingredients and Cheddar in a medium bowl and mix well
21. Add the shortening and buttermilk; stir until the dough comes together
22. The dough will be slightly sticky
23. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and fashion each into a loose ball
24. Drop them into the pie plate
25. Bake in the center of the oven until lightly browned and firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes
26. Serve right from the oven
27. Remove the pot from the heat
28. Open the cooker with the Quick Release method or the Natural Release method (let stand for 15 minutes)
29. Be careful of the steam as you remove the lid
30. Stir in the sherry
31. Taste the broth and salt to taste
32. If a thickened gravy is desired, heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat
33. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until aromatic and lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes
34. Ladle about ½ cup of hot broth from the pressure cooker into the roux and stir until smooth and bubbly
35. Add ½ cup more hot broth and again stir until smooth and bubbly
36. Pour the roux into the pressure cooker and stir carefully to combine
37. Bring the stew to a gentle boil, uncovered, and cook until the stew thickens, 2 to 3 minutes
38. Serve the oxtail stew, sprinkled with the parsley, over egg noodles or mashed potatoes, and with a hot biscuit
39. Or refrigerate overnight, remove the layer of congealed fat, and reheat gently to serve
40. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator 4 to 5 days or the freezer up to 4 months

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