Team Tacos
Like Workday’s seamless orchestration behind the scenes, this dish harmonizes bold elements with effortless precision—crisp rolled tacos cradle spiced roasted sweet potatoes, their golden shells giving way to rich, velvety warmth. They are crowned with oxtail sugo slow-simmered to melt-in-the-mouth perfection and brightened by tamarind-pickled onions, creating a bite worthy of spirited competition.
Ingredients
Oxtail Sugo
- 1 cup butter unsalted(2 sticks)
- 3 lbs oxtail 1.4 kg, cut into pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion large finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can tomato 16oz, diced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups white wine
- 4 cups gelatinous beef stock
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 sprigs cilantro
- 2 bay leaves fresh
- salt and black pepper,to taste
Tamarind Pickled Onions
- 1 red onion large, thinly sliced
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
- ½ inch slice red beet
Sweet Potato Rolled Tacos
- 2 sweet potatoes large, peeled and cubed
- 1 roasted poblano pepper diced
- ½ smoked paprika
- ½ cumin
- ¼ chili powder
- 12 small corn tortillas
- salt and black pepper to taste
- neutral oil, enough for frying
Plating
- ½ cup cilantro fresh
- 1 tbsp lime juice fresh
Instructions
Oxtail Sugo
- Pat oxtail pieces dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtail pieces on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, reduce heat to medium. Add onions, red bell peppers and garlic. Sauté until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and tomato paste, cooking until the mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Add spices, cilantro and bay leaves. Pour in white wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for 7 minutes.
- Return the oxtail to the pot and pour in enough stock to cover the meat. Add lime juice.
- Bring the mixture to a slow boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 3-4 hours, until the oxtail is tender.
- Allow the oxtail to cool separately from the stock, straincooking liquid set aside. After cool, pick out meat, but do not shred it. Reduce cooking liquid by half and add the picked oxtail into reduced liquid. Gently mix to combine, set aside.
Tamarind Pickled Onions
- Place thinly sliced red onions in a mason jar. In a small saucepan, combine water, apple cider vinegar, tamarind paste, honey, salt and chili flakes.
- Heat over medium heat until the mixture just begins to simmer, stirring to dissolve the tamarind and honey. Pour the hot pickling liquid over the onions, ensuring they are fully submerged. Press down with a spoon to compact the onions if needed.
- Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (preferably overnight) to allow the flavors to meld. Store with a ½ inch slice of raw beet. Set aside.
Sweet Potato Rolled Tacos
- Roast the sweet potatoes until tender (375°F for 40 mins), then mash them with smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt and black pepper. Warm the tortillas so they’re pliable.
- Spread filling evenly onto each tortilla and roll them tightly. Secure with toothpicks if needed. Heat about ½ inch of oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the rolled tacos seam-side down until golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
Plating
- Place rolled sweet potato tacos down first, spoon over oxtail sugo, garnish with tamarind pickles, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
Tried this recipe?Mention @nyeshajoyce and tag #nyeshaarrington