Braised Oxtail with Root Vegetables

The secret to preparing oxtail is to cook it a day or two before serving to allow all the fat to rise to the top of the dish, making it easy to remove. Should you be so lucky, any leftover meat, taken off the bone, makes a hearty pasta sauce or ragu. Oxtail can be substituted in almost any beef stew recipe. It takes a little longer to become meltingly tender, but its rich flavor and unctuous texture make it worthwhile. The English food writer Arabella Boxer inspired this re