Sous Vide Southern Oxtails

Cup of Yum
1. Pat oxtails dry and season them with the kosher salt. Set up your sous vide bath and set the temperature of your sous vide circulator to 165 degrees F.
2. Pour vegetable oil into a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering hot, add the seasoned oxtails, but don't overcrowd the pan. Do this in batches if necessary, crowding will make the meat steam not sear.
3. Sear the oxtails on every side until each side is browned, about 2 minutes each side. Place the oxtails into the sous vide-safe bags in one layer.
4. Add the required amount of black pepper, worcestershire sauce, garlic and onion powders, and the bay leaf to each bag (the list amounts for these ingredients are per bag!) and vacuum seal the bags (or use the water displacement method).
5. Sous vide the oxtails for at least 36 hours up to 100 hours.

Southern Oxtail Gravy

1. Once the oxtails are full cooked and tender, start making the gravy. Remove the oxtails from the jus in the bag, you'll be using the jus to make the gravy.
2. In a sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the yellow onion slices to the pan and sauté them until they are golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and stir them in for 30 seconds.
3. Add the all purpose flour, and whisk for a couple of minutes to ensure the flour taste cooks out.
4. Add the reserved jus and the beef stock into the flour 1/4 cup at a time, whisking well to incorporate. If you notice the roux getting thick and seizing up, that is perfectly fine. Don't panic, just keep adding the liquid and whisking until all the stock is in and the liquid is smooth.
5. Add the oxtails to the gravy and let it come to a simmer, whisking occasionally so it doesn't burn anything at the bottom, for 10-15 minutes or until the gravy has reduced and thickened.
6. Serve the oxtails and gravy hot over coconut rice, mashed potatoes, grits or polenta, or any other delicious side you can think of.