Lovers of oxtail stew have choice between 2 recipes for slow cooker

I once took a tour of a meatpacking plant and came upon a case of whole oxtails, a few dozen of them, nestled together like a box full of giant apostrophes. The sight grabbed me because the cleaned-up oxtails we see in supermarkets are presented in neat slices, looking not at all tail-like.

Since that tour I’ve always associated oxtails with punctuation marks, although an exclamation point would be more appropriate, as in yum! All of which is apropos of nothing except that a couple of weeks ago a request came in from Jim Manke for an Asian-style oxtail dish for the slow cooker.

He said he found one online that purported to be “local” but included potatoes and carrots, “which I found weird.”

Conveniently, in 2013 Joleen Oshiro and I published a cookbook, “Hurry Up and Wait,” with recipes designed for the pressure cooker and slow cooker (available through Mutual Publishing, if you’re interested). My part covered the slow cooker and included two oxtail recipes.

The first is for the classic Filipino oxtail kare-kare, made with peanut butter. This version capitalizes on the slow cooker’s ability to make an excellent stock, which serves as the basis for the stew’s gravy.

Kare-kare typically takes on a pale orange tone from the use of achiote powder, sold in small packets near Filipino seasonings in Asian markets and some supermarkets. If you’d rather not bother, you can live with the natural beige tone.

Recipe No. 2, which better fits Manke’s specs, is Chinese-style, with flavors of anise, ginger and a Chinese rice wine called shao­xing. Fresh shiitake mushrooms and a sturdy green such as pak choy complete the dish. It ran in this space a few years ago when I was developing recipes for the cookbook.

For best results, make the stew at least a day ahead, then refrigerate it overnight so the fat congeals. Then you can scoop that part off and throw it out. I got 5 ounces of fat out of my oxtails. That’s a lot of greasiness you won’t consume.

I make mine on the weekend, then reheat the defatted stew for a quick work-night meal.

SLOW COOKER KARE-KARE

3 to 4 pounds oxtails

1 medium onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 quart water

1 pound green beans, in 2-inch lengths

3 small eggplants, in 1-inch wedges

2 teaspoons achiote powder

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

1/2 cup toasted ground rice (see note)

1 teaspoon fish sauce

Place oxtails, onions and garlic in 6- to 7-quart slow-cooker crock with water, adding a little more if needed just to cover oxtails. Cook on low 6 hours, or until meat is tender. Remove oxtails and onions. Strain stock and skim fat.

Return stock to pot; add beans and eggplant. Cook on low 3 to 4 hours, until vegetables are tender. Stir in achiote powder, peanut butter and ground rice, stirring to combine. Return oxtails and onions to pot. Continue cooking until oxtails are heated through and mixture is thickened. Drizzle with fish sauce. Serves 8-10.

Variations: Eggplant and beans are typically found in this dish, but other vegetables can be used, including greens such as bok choy, added at the end of the cooking time.

Note: To make ground rice, toast uncooked rice over medium heat in a dry skillet until golden. Grind in a coffee grinder. This serves as a thickener, but to simplify use a cornstarch slurry.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: (based on 4 pounds oxtails and not including any added salt): 600 calories, 32 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 185 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 57 g protein

CHINESE-STYLE OXTAIL STEW

5 pounds beef oxtails

1 cup Chinese rice wine (shao­xing)

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3 star anise

2-inch piece ginger, cut in chunks and crushed

4 stalks lemongrass, tough parts removed, crushed

3 large cloves garlic, crushed

1-1/2 cups water

12 fresh shiitake mushrooms (or dried and reconstituted)

1/4 cup cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water

1 pound pak choy or other Chinese green such as choy sum

Parboil oxtails 10 minutes; discard water (skip this step if your oxtails are not gristly or bloody).

Combine remaining ingredients, except cornstarch and greens, in slow cooker. Add oxtails. Stir. Cook on low 8 hours, or until meat is very tender.

Remove oxtails and mushrooms from liquid. Strain liquid. Debone oxtails if desired. Refrigerate solids and liquid in separate containers overnight.

The next day, discard congealed fat from liquid (there will be a lot) and bring liquid to a simmer over medium heat. Taste and adjust seasonings by adding more soy sauce, sugar or wine. Or, if flavor is too strong, add water. Gradually add cornstarch mixture, stirring until liquid thickens to a light gravy (you might not need all of the cornstarch mixture). Add oxtails, mushrooms and pak choy. Simmer until heated through. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 300 calories, 10 g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 85 mg cholesterol, greater than 1,500 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 28 g protein

Write “By Request,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or email requests to bshimabukuro@staradvertiser.com. Nutritonal analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.