If you are a fan of BBQ beef, then you will absolutely love these Smoked BBQ Oxtails. Not too difficult to do but this cook, like all your cooks, requires a bit of love and patience. The payoff will be worth it.
I started with 8 lbs of oxtail. Depending on how many people you are feeding, you may need to buy multiple packs. You are looking for the big pieces of oxtail. If you use the smaller end pieces, you may not need to smoke them as long as the baseball sized ones.
This recipe is simple. Oxtails and use your favorite BBQ rub. I am using Killer Hogs Hot BBQ Rub. I want something with a lot of red spices in it for the color. You want to generously apply the rub to all sides of the oxtails. Once that's done, let it rest on the counter top while you get your smoker ready.
On the smoker, you are looking to reach a temperature of 250-275F. For the wood, I am using oak. I think oak wood pairs best with beef, but that's just me. Use whatever YOU like.
You want to smoke these for an hour and a half on each side for a total of 3 hours. It's okay if you go a little longer. These oxtails will not get tender without being braised. So after the 3 hours on the smoker, it's time to braise them.
I have a half hotel pan with chopped yellow and red onions. I also have garlic and scallions in there. Put your oxtails in the pan, make sure they are snug. You can also use any vessel that is oven safe OR put the pan back on the smoker if you so choose. I had to continue using my Weber so I opted for my oven.
Before your wrap up your pan with all oxtails in it, pour in some beef stock/broth. Whatever you have. I ended up using 1 carton of beef stock. You can use any flavor broth/stock you want. You can even use beer. Try to avoid using plain water because there's no flavor in that.
If you are using your smoker or the oven for the braising portion, you want to braise them in 350F heat for 3 hours or until fork tender. Once they reach that point, let them cool a bit and serve them like you would any BBQ meat. Pair with your favorite sides and a nice cold drink. Hit it with your favorite BBQ or hot sauce and enjoy!