Oxtail grilled cheese

Oxtail Grilled Cheese

Serves: 4
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 4 hours

Ingredients
- 1 oxtail
- salt to taste
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1L (34 fl oz) beef stock
- 8 slices rye sourdough bread
- 600g (21.2 oz) grated cheddar cheese
- pickled peppers, sliced
- butter
- olive oil

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 140°C (285°F).
2. To braise the oxtail, season it well with salt. In a large Dutch oven, heat a drizzle of oil and brown the oxtail on all sides. Remove the oxtail and set it aside.
3. In the same pot, add the chopped carrot, onion, and crushed garlic. Sauté until golden brown, then return the browned oxtail to the pot. Pour in the beef stock until the oxtail is covered.
4. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer, then cover it and place it in the oven. Braise for 3-3.5 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
5. Once cooked, allow the oxtail to cool slightly before pulling the meat from the bones. Glaze the meat with the reduced stock from the pot.
6. To assemble the sandwich, start by adding a generous amount of pulled oxtail meat to a slice of bread. Top with a good helping of grated cheddar cheese and some sliced pickled peppers. Place another slice of bread on top to complete the sandwich.
7. Heat a cast-iron pan over medium heat. Add about a tablespoon of butter to the pan and toast the sandwich for 5-6 minutes on each side, until it’s deep golden brown and the cheese is fully melted.