Oxtail Risotto

This is my second shared recipe that combines my love for Korean and Italian food. First shared was Soondae et Kimchi Strozzapreti, inspired by sautéd soondae and kimchi dish that typically accompanies late-night soju drinking.  Strozzapreti was the perfect choice to absorb the strong fermented flavor of kimchi, and Soondae et Kimchi Strozzapreti became one of the most liked and messaged shares among my IG Stories. 

Although I had shared another Oxtail Risotto recipe here before, it was removed since I felt that it needed a bit of tweaking. After working on the tweaks on and off for over a year, I am sharing the tweaked recipe that I am happy with. 

This Oxtail Risotto recipe is drier than most of my other risotto recipes to highlight the flavor of oxtail meat. Although you can cook the oxtails using the method of your choice for the Oxtail Risotto, I always cook this risotto dish with Korean Oxtail Soup. Korean Oxtail Soup is one of my winter staples since it keeps well frozen. I like to have a batch or two in my freezer for a quick meal with rice or to cook this risotto dish. 

INGREDIENTS

three oxtails, cooked and deboned

thirty-six fluid ounces of oxtail broth

one cup of arborio rice

one-third cup of diced pancetta

a half cup of grated parmigiano reggiano

a quarter cup of thinly sliced Brussels sprouts

one tablespoon of olive oil

salt to flavor as needed

In a pot, bring the oxtail broth to a low simmer. Heat a Dutch oven over a high heat. Once heated, add diced pancetta and sliced Brussels sprouts. Sauté until the pancetta is crispy on the outside. Remove from the heat and set them aside.

With the fat from the pancetta remaining in the Dutch oven, return the pot to the stove over high heat. Add rice with a quick stir with a wooden spoon and then add olive oil. Quickly stir the rice until lightly toasted. Once the rice is lightly toasted, add a ladle of oxtail broth. Once brought to a boil, reduce heat to medium. Add broth as rice absorbs it, one ladle at a time, while occasionally stirring.

Once the rice is cooked, add sautéd pancetta and Brussels sprouts. Reduce heat to low and add cheese while stirring. Add deboned oxtail meat and turn off the heat while continuing to stir. Once the cheese is melted, taste to flavor with a generous pinch or two of salt if needed. Bon appétit!

ps: The bowl shown above was wheel-thrown and glazed by me.