Smoked Oxtails With Hoisin Lemon Glaze
Smoked oxtails with a hoisin and lemon glaze, well, it doesn’t get any better than this. This is one of my husband’s signature recipes. And it is nothing short of deliciousness on a plate. The subtle layers of flavor experienced in between the smokiness, and unctuous tenderness of the meat is an amazing experience for the taste buds. It will have you, and your guest going back for more. Our recipe for smoked oxtails has several moving parts, which means you need a little forward planning. There are four basic steps marination, smoking, braising and glazing. Please note this recipe doesn’t use advanced cooking techniques, it just takes some preparation and time to cook.
Equipment
- Smoker
- Pellets or wood for smoking
- 1 large roaster pan with tight fitting lid
- 3 disposable foil pans
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 Large sieve
- Heavy duty foil
Ingredients
- 4-5 lbs. oxtails trimmed and washed approximately 2-4 packs
Marinade for oxtail
- 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce Lea & Perrins
- 1 tbsp smoked sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning salt
- 1 tbsp garlic granules
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp black pepper
Braising Liquid
- 1-2 32 oz beef, chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/2 bell pepper chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 sprig fresh thyme bruised
- 4-5 garlic cloves crushed
- 1-2 large celery stalks chopped
- 2 spring onions chopped
- 1 large carrot chopped
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup soy sauce low sodium
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce Lea & Perrins
- 1 tbsp garlic granules
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp black peppercorns whole
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Glaze
- 1-2 tbsp Hoisin sauce
- 1 lemon juiced
Garnish
- 1 spring onion minced
Instructions
Marinade
- Liberally season the trimmed, washed and dried oxtails with the marinade seasoning listed in this recipe, or with your choice of seasonings. For best results, cover the oxtails and allow them to marinade overnight, or up to 48 hours in the refrigerator.
- Before smoking, remove the oxtails from the refrigerator and place them on the countertop and allow to come to room temperature. Approximately 2-3 hours. This step is important as it will allow for even smoking and cooking.
Smoking oxtails
- Set your smoker to 250°F – 275°F
- Once the smoker has come up to temperature, smoke the oxtails for 2 -3 hours or until they are a deep golden brown. The oxtail will not be cooked at this point, and they will be rock hard. To soften the oxtails, they will need to be braised.
Braising Liquid
- While the oxtails are smoking, prepare the braising liquid. Into a pan large enough to hold all ingredients, including the smoked oxtails when ready for this step, add chopped onions, celery, bell pepper, carrots, garlic, fresh thyme, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, seasonings, brown sugar and stock. Mix well to dissolve the sugar and salt. Set aside. Our smoker doesn’t fit a large foil pan very well, so we opted to use 2 smaller half pans. That worked well.
- Once the oxtails have been smoked place them into the pan with the prepared braising liquid, making sure that 3/4 of each bone is submerged. Tightly seal with foil or a lid.
- Increase the temperature of the smoker to 350°F – 375°F.
- Once the smoker has come up to temperature, place the pot/pan with oxtails back onto the smoker. Braise for 3 hours, or until the meat is fork tender, and literally just about falling off the bone.
Double Smoke (Optional)
- Double Smoke. Placing the oxtails back on the smoker to enhance the flavor is optional, but worth the effort for the additional flavor that is imparted to the meat. Be sure to reduce smoker temperature to 275°F.
- Once cooked and tender, remove the oxtails from the braising liquid. Place them into a dry baking pan or into a heat resistant bowl. To enhance the smoky flavor, place the oxtails on the smoker uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes. Once again, this step is optional, but soooooo worth it.
Making the glaze
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, using a fine mesh sieve, strain and discard all of the solids from the remaining braising liquid. Using a spoon, skim off the excess fat and discard. Do Not pour the excess fat into your sink as this may cause it to clog. Skim the fat into a plastic bag, and allow it to harden in the refrigerator, then discard into the trash on trash day!
- Place the saucepan with the strained liquid over high/medium heat, add hoisin sauce and mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce the braising liquid by 1/3 to create a glaze. Squeeze in fresh lemon juice, and mix well. Remove from heat.
Glazing, garnish and serving
- Remove the oxtails from the smoker, and place them into a pan in a single layer. Generously, spoon the hot glaze over the oxtails, ensuring that each piece is fully coated. Garnish with minced green onions if desired. Serve with rice, mac-n-cheese, potato salad, salad, French bread or any side of your choice.
Video
Notes
Purchasing Oxtails
When selecting the oxtail, check to see how thick the fat cap is. If it’s more than 3/4 cm to 0.5 cm it’s too thick. Keep looking until you find a package that is nicely trimmed.
Trim as much fat off the oxtail before you cook it. This prevents a lot of work decanting or skimming when you make the glaze. Click here to checkout the inside scoop on oxtails and how to use the trimmings. Storing
Your smoked oxtails are good for approximately 4-5 days stored in the refrigerator in a container with a tight fitting lid. Or they can be frozen for up to 3 months. Be sure to use a freezer safe container and put the date and label on it. Reheating If using the microwave to reheat, always use the REHEAT function. Or reheat in the oven in an oven proof dish. Preheat oven to 250°F. Place the oxtails into a dish with 1-2 tsp of water. Seal the dish tightly with foil. Reheat for 20-30 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165°F has been reached. Defrosting
Remove the oxtails from the freezer and defrost in the refrigerator completely before reheating. DO NOT REFREEZE!
When selecting the oxtail, check to see how thick the fat cap is. If it’s more than 3/4 cm to 0.5 cm it’s too thick. Keep looking until you find a package that is nicely trimmed.
Trim as much fat off the oxtail before you cook it. This prevents a lot of work decanting or skimming when you make the glaze. Click here to checkout the inside scoop on oxtails and how to use the trimmings. Storing
Your smoked oxtails are good for approximately 4-5 days stored in the refrigerator in a container with a tight fitting lid. Or they can be frozen for up to 3 months. Be sure to use a freezer safe container and put the date and label on it. Reheating If using the microwave to reheat, always use the REHEAT function. Or reheat in the oven in an oven proof dish. Preheat oven to 250°F. Place the oxtails into a dish with 1-2 tsp of water. Seal the dish tightly with foil. Reheat for 20-30 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165°F has been reached. Defrosting
Remove the oxtails from the freezer and defrost in the refrigerator completely before reheating. DO NOT REFREEZE!
Nutrition
Serving: 8ServingsCalories: 679kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 75gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 250mgSodium: 2535mgPotassium: 505mgFiber: 2gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 2008IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 11mg
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