{giveaway} braised ox tail burguignon | a review of purely fresh online grocery store

I shall start this post with a SIGH.

A well and truly happy and totally satisfied SIGH.

Let you show you what I just had for dinner.

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It was so, so good. The ox tail had been braised in red wine and beef stock for more than 4 hours and was melt-in-your-mouth tender. 

Best of all, I didn’t even have to leave my home to be able to cook such a delicious meal. With fresh groceries getting delivered right to my door step, all I needed to do was to go CLICK, CLICK, CLICK with my mouse and Purely Fresh does all the work and I get chilled ox tail delivered to me!

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I have to say that ever since I discovered the joys of grocery shopping with Purely Fresh, my life has been much easier. Since Purely Fresh owns and manages wet markets, I can actually cook with fresh produce without the need for a trip to the wet market. It literally is getting the best of technology!

Ox tail can be delicious when cooked right. Apart from using the right seasoning, the trick really is to cook the ox tail at a low temperature for a long time. “Oxtail is a tricky cut, full of connective tissue and fat, but when it is cooked in the right way, it produces far more flavour and rich sauce than steak.” (Heston Blumenthal). I cannot agree more with this statement!

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Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to cook this dish.

Start by mixing together the ingredients for seasoned flour – flour, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic and onion powders, dry mustard and dried basil. Apart from the salt and pepper, you can change the rest of the ingredients to suit your preferences.

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Dredge the ox tail in the flour, coating all sides. 

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Brown the ox tail on all sides in some olive oil. Transfer the ox tail into a bowl and set aside.

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In the same casserole, saute the onion for 2 minutes to soften, then add the garlic cloves and saute a further minute.

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Add the celery and carrots and stir to mix. Cook for 2 more minutes.

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Add the mushroom and stir to mix. Keep the vegetables quite chunky because they will be cooked for quite a few hours and will shrink as they cook.

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Add the red wine. I used Cabernet Sauvignon but you can use any red wine you like, but a more full-bodied wine will do better here.

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Add the beef stock and chopped tomatoes. Stir to mix.

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Return the ox tail to the casserole.

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Add the herbs – rosemary, thyme and bay leaves, as well as black peppercorns.

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Give everything a good stir.

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Cover with a lid, then place the casserole into the oven. Braise the ox tail at 150°C for 4-4.5 hours, or until the ox tail is meltingly soft. Remember to give everything a stir every hour or so, and to check that there is still enough liquid to continue cooking.

Once done, season with salt and pepper and thicken with corn starch slurry to make a yummy gravy.

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Serve with rice, or pasta, or couscous, or a loaf of crusty bread.

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Enjoy!

Isn’t it amazing that with the advent of technology, it is now possible for us to cook great meals with a click of the mouse. 

Ordering groceries from Purely Fresh is so easy too.

Simply go to Purely Fresh Online Grocery Store. Select the items you want to purchase.

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Once you have selected everything you need, click on the cart to check out.

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 Select day and time of delivery, pay and you are done!

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With the hectic schedules most of us have these days, it can be hard to find time to go shopping at wet markets. Sure one can shop at supermarkets but it can be hard to get the level of freshness in the produce one is looking for.

This is where it is useful to have on hand a reliable grocery store than you can trust to deliver super fresh produce to your door step. So if you have some time this week, why not order some ox tail and try out this fabulous recipe?

{A GIVEAWAY}

I am giving away $60 PurelyFresh Credits and Free Delivery* to 3 lucky readers! To take part in this giveaway, simply complete the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Contest ends on Tuesday 8 December 2015 at 2359hrs. The winners will be selected via Rafflecopter, and notified via email. The winners have up to 2359hrs on Thursday 10 December 2015 to respond to the notification emails. Should there be no response, the winning entry will be rendered null and void, and another winner will be chosen. The prizes will be sent to the winners by PurelyFresh. Credits can only be used on fresh produce from the store. Incomplete entries will be disqualified. Open to residents of Singapore only.

Braised Ox Tail Burguignon
Serves 2
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Ingredients
  1. 6-8 pieces ox tail
  2. 1 onion, cut into wedges
  3. 5-6 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
  4. 5 sticks celery, cut
  5. 1 pack baby carrots
  6. 1 pack (200-250g) Portobello mushrooms, cut
  7. 2 cups (480ml) red wine
  8. 1 cup (240ml) beef stock
  9. 1 can chopped tomatoes
  10. 3 bay leaves
  11. 2 sprigs rosemary
  12. 2 tablespoons thyme leaves
  13. 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  14. 2 teaspoons corn starch, mixed with 2 teaspoons water to make a slurry
For the seasoned flour
  1. 1 cup (125g) plain flour
  2. 1 teaspoon salt
  3. 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  4. 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  5. 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  6. 1 teaspoon onion powder
  7. 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  8. 1 teaspoon dried basil
Instructions
  1. Start by mixing together the ingredients for seasoned flour – flour, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic and onion powders, dry mustard and dried basil. Apart from the salt and pepper, you can change the rest of the ingredients to suit your preferences.
  2. Dredge the ox tail in the flour, coating all sides.
  3. Brown the ox tail on all sides in some olive oil. Transfer the ox tail into a bowl and set aside.
  4. In the same casserole, saute the onion for 2 minutes to soften, then add the garlic cloves and saute a further minute.
  5. Add the celery and carrots and stir to mix. Cook for 2 more minutes.
  6. Add the mushroom and stir to mix. Keep the vegetables quite chunky because they will be cooked for quite a few hours and will shrink as they cook.
  7. Add the red wine. I used Cabernet Sauvignon but you can use any red wine you like, but a more full-bodied wine will do better here.
  8. Add the beef stock and chopped tomatoes. Stir to mix.
  9. Return the ox tail to the casserole.
  10. Add the herbs – rosemary, thyme and bay leaves, as well as black peppercorns. Give everything a good stir.
  11. Cover with a lid, then place the casserole into the oven. Braise the ox tail at 150°C for 4-4.5 hours, or until the ox tail is meltingly soft. Remember to give everything a stir every hour or so, and to check that there is still enough liquid to continue cooking.
  12. Once done, season with salt and pepper and thicken with a corn starch slurry to make a yummy gravy.
  13. Serve with rice, or pasta, or couscous, or a loaf of crusty bread.
The Domestic Goddess Wannabe https://thedomesticgoddesswannabe.com/

DISCLAIMER: While this post was brought to you by Purely Fresh, I am really grateful to know that I can buy such fresh produce in Singapore and have them delivered to me. Purely Fresh is the way to shop for busy moms like myself!