Beef Shank and Oxtail Ragu

• 1 tablespoon light olive oil or duck or goose fat
• Salt
• About 1 1/2 pounds oxtails
• A large beef shank, about 1 1/4 pounds
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup red wine
• Herb packet of a dozen or so parsley stems, 1 garlic clove, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 8 peppercorns
• 78 cups water
• 4 small white onions, peeled
• 3 or 4 young carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 medium white turnip, or 1/4 fairly large celery root, peeled and cut into chunks (optional)
• 2 or 3 smallish new potatoes, cut in half

1. Heat the oil or fat in a heavy pot.
2. Salt the meats lightly, and brown on all sides.
3. Remove the meat (or push it aside if your pot is big enough), and saute the onion and carrot for a few minutes.
4. Splash in the red wine and reduce for a minute, then tuck the meat back in among the vegetables, nestling in the herb packet as well.
5. Pour on enough water to cover the meats by 2 inches, and simmer, covered, for 2 1/2hours.
6. Add the additional vegetables, and a little more water if they are not well covered, and simmer until tenderabout 20 minutes.
7. For my first meal, I have the shank surrounded by the vegetables with a little of the cooking liquid on top.
8. If I have some on hand, a Winter Green Sauce (page 159) is particularly good with this.
9. I reserve for later any meat I cant finish.
10. Spoon most of the oxtails into a warm wide, shallow bowl into which youve dished up a generous serving of grits or polenta (see pages 196 and 193).
11. Pour a small ladleful of the flavorful beef broth over, thickened, if you like, with a little cornstarch or instant flour.
12. If you want to jazz up the dish, make a small amount of the gremolata (see page 249) that is used for veal shanksjust a teaspoon sprinkled on top is enough.
13. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and start cooking 23 ounces of penne or ziti.
14. Meanwhile, scrape off from the bones whatever meat remains, and chop it up.
15. Strain the rich cooking broth into containers for freezing, reserving the vegetables.
16. Heat a little olive oil in a medium skillet, and lightly saute a thin-sliced garlic clove for a minute.
17. Add the strained veggies, the chopped-up meat, and about 1/4 cup tomato sauce (or, if you dont have any, use a tablespoon tomato paste and some of the pasta water).
18. Scoop up the pasta when done, and mix it with the sauce in the skillet, adding more pasta water if needed.
19. Turn off the heat, and fold in a small handful of grated Parmesan.

light olive oil, salt, oxtails, beef shank, onion, carrot, red wine, packet, water, white onions, carrots, white turnip, smallish new potatoes

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/beef-shank-and-oxtail-ragu-378352 (may not work)