Sous Vide Oxtail Shepherd's Pie

This dish is a great spin on a Gordon Ramsay favorite. Although it's a time-consuming dish to create (cooking time: 15 hours), it's worth-while, guaranteed. Please note: This recipe assumes you have mashed potatoes and demi-glace available. If not, prepare in advance. Demi-glace is reduced veal and vegetables stock. If you don't have access to prepared demi-glace or don't want to make your own, you can prepare a semi-demi-glace a la Julia Child: Combine 2 quarts beef stock with 2 tablespoons red wine in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer and reduce until stock is thick and syrupy. It should measure between 1 and 2 cups.

Author

Mike Castaneda

Christian. Disabled veteran. Father. Named "One of the 10 best cooks in America" by Food Network, World Food Championship Qualified.

Prep Time: 00:30

Recipe Time: 15:00

Temperature : 180F / 82.2C

Ingredients

• 4 large oxtails
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 Marsala wine
• 1/2 cup prepared mashed potatoes, warmed
• 1/2 cup demi-glace (see note), warmed
• Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
• Bread, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 180ºF (82ºC).
2. Season the oxtails liberally with salt and pepper. Place in a large zipper lock or vacuum seal bag with the tomato puree. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer on the moist setting.
3. Place the bag in the water bath and set the timer for 15 hours. Cover the water bath with plastic wrap to minimize water evaporation.
4. About 10 minutes before the oxtail is finished, begin preparing the vegetables: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion and celery.
5. Sauté until the vegetables have softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat until the oxtail is finished.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. Remove the oxtails from the bag and transfer to a cutting board. Remove the meat from the bones and shred into bite-sized pieces. Discard bones and any large pieces of fat.
2. Return the large skillet to medium-high heat. Add the oxtail to the vegetables, stirring well. Add the Marsala and bring to a rapid simmer.
3. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, until the wine is almost completely reduced. Remove from heat.
4. Using a 2 3/4- to 3 1/2-inch ring mold, plate the meat mixture on 4 serving plates. Top with mashed potatoes. Drizzle demi-glace around the meat mixture. Remove ring mold and garnish with parsley and bread, if desired.