Sesame Ginger Oxtail Bao Buns

Ingredients

Beef Oxtails:

• 2 packages Rumba Meats® Beef Oxtails
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced into thick coins
• 1 dried bay leaf
• ½ cup Shaoxing cooking wine* (or dry sherry)
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• ¼ cup light soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon prepared chili garlic sauce

Asian Slaw:

• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 1 medium English (seedless) cucumber, diagonal sliced, cut into thin strips
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

• 16 frozen unfilled folded bao buns (from local Asian market)
• Roasted sesame seeds, as needed

Instructions

1. Season beef oxtails evenly with salt and black pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add oxtails and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining oxtails.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and add onion, garlic, ginger, and bay leaf to the pot. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring and scraping browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add cooking wine and simmer for about 2 minutes. Stir in water, chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and chili garlic sauce. Add browned oxtail. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 2½ hours, adding water as needed, until beef oxtails are tender and reach an internal temperature of 160ºF.
3. Using tongs, transfer oxtails to a large bowl and cool. Shred meat off bones and reserve.
4. Using a ladle, skim fat on surface of stock, if desired. Strain stock through a fine mesh strainer into a skillet. Bring stock to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until stock has cooked down to a saucy glaze-like consistency. Add shredded oxtail and simmer for 5 minutes. Keep warm.
5. For Asian slaw: In a bowl, combine carrots, cabbage, cucumber, rice vinegar, honey, and sesame oil and toss to blend.
6. Steam frozen bao buns according to package directions.
7. To serve: Open each freshly steamed bao bun and stuff with Asian slaw and sesame ginger oxtail. Top with sesame seeds and serve.