Title: Chez henri's cuban-style braised oxtail
 Categories: Beef, Cuban
      Yield: 6 Servings
 
      8 lb Oxtail trimmed of fat; cut
           -in 2" segments
      2 c  Finely chopped onions
      2 c  Finely chopped carrots
    1/2 c  Chopped celery
    1/2 c  Red bell pepper; diced
    1/2 c  Green bell pepper; diced
      3    Cloves garlic; minced
      3 ts Ground cumin
      1 ts Ground coriander seed
      2    Bay leaves
    1/4 c  Capers; rinsed
      3 c  Canned tomatoes with their
           -juice; chopped
      4 c  Beef stock
    1/2 c  Chopped fresh cilantro; for
           -garnish
      6 sl Garlic toast
 
  Paul O'Connell of Chez Henri's in Cambridge serves this rustic dish,
  which is Cuban with a strong Spanish influence. It's piquant with
  peppers, tomatoes, capers, and spices. Do not be put off by the
  ingredient list: The dish is easy and uncomplicated to make while
  full of flavor.
  
  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the oxtail in a high-sided
  roasting pan and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, turning it once.
  Remove it from the oven and ppour off the rendered fat.
  
  Distribute all the vegetables and spices - including the cumin,
  coriander seed, bay leaves, and capers - around the oxtail. Pour the
  tomatoes and beef stock over the oxtail with enough water to cover.
  Place in the hot oven for 1 hour. Check every 15 to 20 minutes and
  stir with a spoon to break up any crust that forms (add water if it
  seems dry). After 1 hour reduce the heat to 350 degrees and continue
  cooking until the oxtail is done, about 1 hour more. Pull one large
  ppiece of oxtail to check for doneness: The meat should fall from the
  bone. Remove the oxtail from the sauce and skim off as much fat as
  you can.
  
  Let the oxtail cool and chill overnight in a container, covered with
  the sauce. When cold, remove the layer of solidified fat on the
  surface. To serve, slowly reheat the oxtail in the sauce and stir in
  the chopped cilantro. Serve the oxtail in bowls, the sauce spooned
  over it, with garlic toast and sprigs of fresh cilantro.