Gordon Ramsay’s oxtail recipe is a slow Chinese-style braise, with the meat dusted in flour, browned, then cooked low with ginger, star anise and soy. It falls off the bone after about three hours.
This is his Chinese braised oxtail from Ultimate Home Cooking, a dinner he grew up with and cooks on YouTube with his mum. He says we have all braised oxtail in red wine and chicken stock before, but here he gives it a Chinese influence instead. That swap, soy and ginger and star anise in place of red wine, is what makes his version different.
The detail that matters most is using chicken stock, not beef. Gordon points out that oxtail is already rich, so a lighter chicken stock keeps the braise fragrant rather than heavy. Dusting the meat in flour first also thickens the sauce as it cooks, so it clings to the bones.
Gordon Ramsay Oxtail Recipe
Course: Main CourseCuisine: Chinese, BritishDifficulty: Easy6
20
minutes3
minutes480
kcal3 hr 20 min
Gordon Ramsay’s Chinese braised oxtail from Ultimate Home Cooking. The oxtail is dusted in flour and browned, then slow-braised at a low heat with ginger, star anise, soy and a whole sliced fennel bulb, until the meat slides off the bone. Serves 4 to 6 with buttered noodles.
Ingredients
2kg oxtail, cut into pieces, any lumps of fat trimmed off
Plain flour, for dusting
Oil, for frying
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 red chilli, sliced
1 fennel bulb, diced
4cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and sliced
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp coriander seeds
4 whole star anise
4 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
850ml chicken stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Brown the oxtail: Heat the oven to 160C (140C fan) Gas 3. Dust the oxtail in flour, shake off the excess, and season with salt and pepper. Heat a dash of oil in a heavy hob-proof casserole over medium heat, then brown the oxtail and crushed garlic on all sides, in batches, and set aside on a plate.
- Build the spice base: Add a little more oil to the pan. When hot, add the onion, chilli, fennel, ginger, soy sauce, coriander seeds and star anise, and sauté for a minute. Pour in the rice wine and cook for 2 minutes.
- Return the meat: Add the oxtail back to the pan with the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
- Braise low and slow: Cover with a lid and braise in the oven for 2½ to 3 hours, turning the pieces occasionally, until the meat is really tender and sliding off the bone.
- Serve: Spoon the sauce over the oxtail and serve with buttered noodles and a fresh radish salad.
FAQs
How does Gordon Ramsay cook oxtail?
He dusts the oxtail in flour, browns it hard with the garlic, then braises it low at 160C. That takes two and a half to three hours, and the flour gives colour and helps thicken the sauce.
Rather than the usual red wine, he braises it with soy, ginger, star anise and fennel for a Chinese influence. That low, slow heat is what melts the tough meat off the bone.
What makes it Chinese braised oxtail?
The spicing. Gordon swaps the red wine most braises use, like a classic beef bourguignon. In its place go soy sauce, fresh ginger, coriander seeds and whole star anise, with rice wine to deglaze.
He keeps the chilli seeds in for a little heat. As he puts it, Chinese cooking has a long tradition of slow braises. That warming spice against the rich oxtail is what he loves on a cold night.
Why does Gordon use chicken stock instead of beef?
Because oxtail is already a rich, fatty cut, so a heavy beef stock would only make it heavier. He uses a lighter chicken stock to keep the braise fragrant and let the spices come through.
It is a small swap most recipes get wrong. The chicken stock is why his version tastes aromatic rather than just deeply meaty.
Why is there fennel in it?
It is one of Gordon’s quiet tricks. He notes that most people only use fennel raw in salads, but cooked slowly here it turns soft and sweet and rounds out the spice.
Diced and braised with the oxtail, it almost melts into the sauce. You do not get a strong aniseed hit, just a gentle sweetness underneath the soy and ginger.
What do you serve with braised oxtail?
Gordon serves his with buttered noodles and a fresh, peppery radish salad to cut through the richness. The noodles soak up that glossy spiced sauce.
If you would rather a potato side, his creamy mashed potato or plain rice both work. It is a rich dish, so keep the rest of the plate simple and sharp.
Can you make oxtail ahead, and does it keep?
Yes, and it is better for it, since like his other slow braises such as beef cheek ragu the flavour deepens overnight. Cook it a day ahead and reheat gently, adding a splash of stock if the sauce has tightened.
It also freezes well once the meat is off the bone, much like his beef short ribs. Skim the fat from the top before reheating, since oxtail throws out a fair bit.
