I’m so glad you’re back. Are you hungry?

Brenda Margriet said, As the weather gets cooler in Northern British Columbia, I tend to make more stews and casseroles and soups. Share your favourite cold weather meal recipe!

You already know I love to cook. A few months ago, I was thinking about this delicious tomato leek soup my husband makes and thinking if I just add some meat to it, we could have it for a meal. Then I was in the supermarket and saw oxtail. Poof! Just like that, we have a new favorite.

For those of you who don’t know, Oxtail is a cow’s tail. The tail is made up of vertebra with meat all around it. It’s quite tough so this is a low and slow recipe. You could do it in a slow cooker, but you have to sweat the vegetables, so I just did it in my Dutch oven.

• 2 large leeks – diced and soaked to get the dirt out
• Olive oil
• 3 cans diced tomato (1 can of water more if needed to cover. You can also use beef stock.)
• 2 large cloves of garlic – chopped
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• handful of chopped parsely
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. red pepper flake (optional)
• 2 lbs. oxtail. (I don’t put the small pieces in. I save them for broths)

Once the leeks are cleaned add them to the pot with olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Sweat them on medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté another 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook on medium/low for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and tuck the oxtail into the sauce in one layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let simmer low for 6 to 8 hours until meat is tender. Add the parsley at the end and serve over fettuccini or another wide pasta.

This is a delicious rich meal. I know oxtail is unfamiliar to many of you, but I promise it’s just beef. The bones in the tail give this a rich flavor that will have you clamoring for more and ready for a nap.

Keep on hopping for what cooking with Leslie Hachtel

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