Holiday Prime Rib with Red Wine Jus and Braised Oxtail

1. Preheat Oven

Begin by preheating your oven to 250°F (120°C) and adjusting the oven rack to the lower-middle position. This low temperature ensures the roast cooks evenly.

2. Brown Beef Shins and Bones

In a large Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the beef shins or oxtail, along with the soup bones. Cook them, turning occasionally, until they are well browned on all surfaces. This should take about 15 minutes and will develop deep, rich flavors through the Maillard reaction.

3. Cook Vegetables

Next, add the chopped carrot, celery, and onion to the Dutch oven. Cook the vegetables for about 8 minutes until they start to brown and soften, stirring occasionally to prevent them from burning.

4. Reduce Wine

Pour in the entire bottle of dry red wine, add the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and parsley stems. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. This will reduce the wine and concentrate its flavors.

5. Add Chicken Stock

Add the chicken stock to the Dutch oven and bring everything back to a simmer. Let it cook for another 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together beautifully.

6. Transfer to Roasting Pan

Transfer the beef shins, oxtail, bones, and the contents of the Dutch oven into a large roasting pan. Arrange them evenly and place a V-rack over them, ensuring that the rack is stable and ready to hold the rib roast.

7. Season Rib Roast

Season the rib roast generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the seasoned roast on the V-rack, ensuring it sits securely. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. Roast the meat in the oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 125°F (52°C) for medium-rare, or 135°F (57°C) for medium. This slow roasting process will take about 4-5 hours, depending on the size of your roast.

8. Rest the Roast

Once the roast reaches the desired temperature, remove it from the oven and transfer it to a large plate. Tent it loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest. This resting period allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring a moist and flavorful roast.

9. Increase Oven Temperature

Increase the oven temperature to 500-550°F (260-290°C) to prepare for the final browning of the roast.

10. Prepare Jus

While the oven heats up, remove the beef shins or oxtail from the roasting pan and set them aside. Strain the contents of the roasting pan through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium saucepan, pressing down on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Skim off any excess fat from the surface of the liquid and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Let it reduce for about 20 minutes until it reaches a sauce-like consistency.

11. Season Jus

Season the jus to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the unsalted butter. Keep the jus warm over low heat until ready to serve.

12. Brown Rib Roast

Wipe out the roasting pan and replace the V-rack. Uncover the rib roast, place it back on the V-rack, and return it to the oven. Roast for 6-10 minutes until the exterior is deeply browned and crisp. Keep a close eye to avoid over-browning.

13. Carve and Serve

Finally, carve the rib roast into thick slices and serve with the braised shins or oxtail on the side. Pass the warm red wine jus around the table, and enjoy the rich, hearty flavors of this holiday feast.