I had never cooked oxtail before. I had it a couple times this year in different restaurants and had been thinking about giving it a try.
First, get over your fear of pressure cookers and get one. I just got an electric one from Cuisinart and I am in love with it. It is very safe and the lid will not open if there is still pressure inside. Second, find a good butcher. I found the coolest butcher shop in LA! Coolest because they are two girls, selling locally produced, humane and sustainably raised meats. If you are in LA, you should check Lindy & Grundy!
half a bottle of red wine.
3 clovers, 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks.
2 bunches of watercress, chopped.
Trim the fat of the oxtail, season it with salt and pepper and brown it on a heavy bottom pan.
Do the same procedure to open the lid again. Remove the oxtail from the pan and transfer to a plate.
Pour all the sauce in a bowl and put it in the fridge for an hour or so, (I like to do that so the fat in the sauce hardens and I am able to remove all the fat on the surface of the bowl. I do that to make a leaner dish, if you like richer, you can skip that step.) Remove the bones and fatty parts from the oxtails, pull all the meat and set aside.
Transfer to a pan along with the lean sauce and adjust the salt. Add 1/2 a bunch of watercress at the very end and serve hot over polenta made with chicken stock and milk and finished with a little butter, half a cup of "Lamb Chopper" cheese and the rest of the watercress.