Notes: This recipe was create for Tony Maws’ appearance on Chef Ming Tsai’s Show “Simply Ming - East Meets West” on WGBH.  Challenge was to reflect the theme of the show and use Worcestershire sauce

(Oxtails have their own distinctively delicious flavor but in a pinch you could substitute another braising cut such as beef shanks, cheeks, or short ribs.)

Ingredients:
4# cut, grass-fed oxtails
1 navel orange, sliced into 1/2″ rounds
1/2″ ginger, smashed
6 ea peeled shallots
1/3# maitake mushrooms
2 cup full bodied red wine
2T Worcestershire sauce
1 bunch scallion, sliced thin
flour for dusting
salt and pepper
canola oil for browning

Dust and season the cut oxtails all around with flour, salt and pepper.
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a Le Creuset or other enameled braising pot.
Color oxtails on all sides and remove from pot.
Discard oil and wipe clean.
Add 2T oil and roast oranges on both sides, remove when well caramelized on both sides.
Roast maitake, ginger and whole shallots in the same pot until they color slightly and begin to soften.
Deglaze with red wine and Worcestershire sauce, reduce by 1/2.
Add the oxtails and oranges back to the pot.
Add enough water to cover half the oxtails
Cover and cook in a 300 degree oven until falling of the bone.
Strain off the sauce and reduce by half or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Fold the braised ingredients and scallions together and serve.

 Super flavorful and super easy.  A real crowd-pleaser!

• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 1 Tblsp toasted cumin seeds
• 1 tsp toasted coriander seeds
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 Tblsp chopped parsley
• 1 Tblsp tarragon
• 1 tsp chopped rosemary
• 1 cup plus 2 Tblsp extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt
• 1 8-bone rack of lamb — preferably local (you can also use individual lamb chops)
• 1 black steel or cast iron pan

A few more steps than your average Hot Buttered Rum, but we think well worth it.

For 1 Gallon of Cider:

Stud 2 oranges with 20 cloves each, piercing the orange skin

Compound butter:

1 pound butter
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground canella (or cinnamon)
3/4 of one nutmeg grated
pinch of salt

Let butter temper and then beat in remaining ingredients being careful not to incorporate a lot of air.  Put butter mixture on to parchment paper or plastic wrap and form a log about an inch and a half in diameter.  Refrigerate until firm then slice into half inch pieces.

For the Toddy:

1 piece of compound butter
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1.5 oz Appleton Reserve Jamaican Rum
6 oz Mulled cider

Heat and mix the drink, incorporating the butter into the beverage. (We steam this mixture on the frothing wand of the cappuccino machine.  You could also use a hand held mini milk frother.)  Top with grated cinnamon stick and grated nutmeg and serve.

Caramel:

1 ¼ cups vanilla sugar

 ½ cup sugar

Custard:

2 fresh vanilla beans

3 cups whole milk

¾ cups vanilla sugar

3 whole eggs

6 egg yolks

PREHEAT OVEN TO 325 DEGREES

For the caramel:

Place sugar and water in a heavy saucepan

Put on medium heat and simmer until it caramelizes, a dark amber color.  Too far and it will burn and taste bitter, so keep your eye on it!

Pour the caramel into the ramekin or baking pan and let cool.  Be careful, caramel is extremely hot, hotter than boiling water.

For the custard:

Steep the vanilla and milk – put vanilla beans in milk and scald (begins to simmer), cover and let infuse for 10 -15 minutes.

Put all eggs into a large mixing bowl.  Once the milk is fully infused add the sugar and whisk vigorously. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the egg and sugar mixture while whisking. Be sure to scrape all the seeds in the pod into this mixture.

Save the scraped pods for future vanilla sugar infusions.

Pour the custard base into the mold.  Place in a water bath in the oven and cook until set and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean, 1 – 1 ½ hours depending on size.