Five-Spice Oxtail Stew

• 4 pounds oxtail
• 2 tablespoons corn or canola oil
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons black pepper
• 1 large onion, minced
• 2 4" knobs of ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
• 8-12 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
• 4 stalks of green onions, minced
• 1-1/2 cups soy sauce
• 1/2 cup mushroom soy sauce (may sub 1/4 cup dark soy sauce)
• 2 cups dried shiitake mushrooms
• 6 cinnamon sticks
• 8 star anise pods
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground szechuan peppercorns (may sub white pepper)
• 1 cup Chinese rice wine (shaoxing brand preferred)

1. Combine flour and black pepper in a small bowl. Toss oxtails in just enough flour to coat them lightly.
2. Heat the oil in a large, deep Dutch oven. Working in batches, brown the oxtails on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside.
3. In the same pot brown the onions (add additional oil if needed) for about 8 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and green onion and saute until they release their aromas.
4. Add soy sauces, then put oxtails back in the pot. Add mushrooms and add enough water to cover all of it. Stir in cinnamon sticks, anise, clove and pepper. Bring up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for at least two hours, stirring occasionally.
5. When the tails seem quite tender, add the rice wine and bring up to a boil. Let cook for another 5 minutes then serve over rice, garnished with green onions.

oxtail, corn, flour, black pepper, onion, ginger, garlic, stalks of green onions, soy sauce, mushroom soy sauce, shiitake mushrooms, cinnamon sticks, anise pods, ground cloves, ground szechuan, chinese rice wine

Taken from food52.com/recipes/2818-five-spice-oxtail-stew (may not work)