There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
Ingredients for a 6-quart crockpot: 1.5 lbs oxtail on the bone 3 large carrots One bunch of celery One large leek One large white onion (can be substituted for pearl onions if you want whole small onions in the stew) Chicken broth (one carton should do, you want enough to cover your mixture) 4.5 oz tomato paste Dry white wine Ginger Parsley One large orange Bay leaves Thyme Basil Sage Oregano
Optional: Parmesan Pasta (egg pappardelle preferred)
Here's the general procedure, remember to season each part individually as that will help maximize the flavor.
Chop up all your vegetables. You want large chunks of everything, as they're going to be cooking for quite a while and will break down. Set aside half of the garlic and parsley for the eventual garnish. Sear your oxtail on a stovetop in oil or butter, then remove it from the stovetop and place it directly in your slow cooker. Don't clean your pan out; you're going to use those drippings to sear half of your garlic and the chopped vegetables (onions, carrots, celery, leeks). Dump all of these over the oxtail, then fill up the slow cooker with chicken broth. Add a generous amount of white wine (I used about half a bottle for a six quart crockpot) and drink the rest of the bottle. Enjoy. Add grated ginger, your entire tube of tomato paste, the juice of your orange (save the skin), and salt+pepper to taste. Add some paprika for heat, and a mixture of basil, sage, oregano (fresh if you've got it, Italian seasoning if you don't). Tie your bay leaves/thyme into a bouquet garni for easy removal and add it to the slow cooker. Give it a bit of a stir, then set it to low for 6-8 hours.
Garnish with a mixture of fresh chopped parsley, garlic, and zest from your orange. If you are serving this over pasta, you can thicken it up with a roux (depending on how much broth you added), and grate fresh parmesan over the top.