Oxtail Ragu

1.5# Beef oxtail
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 parsnip, finely chopped
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
2 cups red wine
4 T tomato paste, divided use
½ c tomato sauce
Olive oil

Soak oxtails in cold, salted water for an hour. Rinse and put them into a pan; cover with clean water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove oxtail and place on paper towels to dry. Discard liquid.

Heat olive oil in a heavy pan. Add oxtail and brown on all sides. Remove to a bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Add the carrots, parsnip, celery, onion and garlic. Cook until vegetables are soft. Return oxtails to pan. Add red wine, 2 T tomato paste and bay leaf and enough water to almost cover oxtails. Simmer for 4-5 hours or until meat is falling off bones.

Remove from heat. Remove oxtails and pull the meat off the bones. Put meat into a baggie and refrigerate overnight. Strain liquid, keeping vegetables and liquid in separate containers and refrigerate overnight.

The next day remove liquid from refrigerator and skim fat. Return sauce to a pan. Add remaining 2 T tomato paste and ½ c tomato sauce.

Put the soffritto, which has been drained into the bowl of a small food processor and pulse until vegetables are blended. Pour vegetables into sauce to thicken. Return meat to sauce and heat through. Serve over your choice of pasta garnished with grated parmesan cheese.