While I didn’t travel over the long Memorial Day weekend, I did cook and consume a lot of good food. It was the perfect way to celebrate the unofficial start of summer.
Here’s a list of my favorites, if you’re curious:
- Strozzapreti with oxtail ragú – The recipe takes a few hours to prepare, but it’s well worth the effort. I don’t eat much red meat but would recreate the dish in a heartbeat.
- Glazed buttermilk and maple old-fashioned donuts from Colonial Donuts – Founded in 1969, the shop offers classic and creative treats to satisfy a sweet tooth 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. (Four new destinations down, 28 to go.)
- A stuffed “Chicken Special” from Zachary’s Chicago Pizza – One bite brought me right back to my college days. The award-winning pie was as delicious as I remembered (without the 1-hour wait)!
- Kielbasa sausage, kale and potato skillet with four kinds of herbs – This one-pan meal has it all: pork, dark leafy greens and creamy taters. Enjoy it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Now the question is: What should I taste test next?
Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit.
Strozzapreti with Oxtail Ragù
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients
Oxtail ragù:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2½ pounds oxtails, cut crosswise into 3"-thick pieces
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 cups dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
Remaining ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 12 ounces strozzapreti or other short pasta
Instructions
Make the oxtail ragù:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Warm olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Season oxtails with salt and pepper. Arrange oxtails in the pot in a single layer and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 15-18 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside.
- In a food processor, pulse the onion, carrots and celery until finely chopped. Transfer to the same pot used to cook the oxtails. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Return oxtails to pot. Add wine and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and bake for 2 hours or until meat is fork tender.
- Transfer oxtails to a large bowl and let cool slightly. Remove the oxtail meat from the bones, shred any large pieces into bite-size morsels and return them to the pot. Discard the bones.
Assemble the dish:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy, stirring halfway through. Remove from the oven, sprinkle on rosemary and toss to combine.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta 2 minutes less than al dente according to package directions. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked pasta to pot with ragù.
- Add ½ cup reserved cooking liquid to pot and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with prepared bread crumbs and serve immediately.
