Smoked Oxtail Mac and Cheese

No roux, no eggs, we’re using the starch in the pasta to bind the sauce. If you click a product link below, I may receive a commission.

Choice of Cheeses: Sharp Cheddar, Havarti and Smoked Gouda

Each cheese serves a purpose in this dish. Sharp cheddar provides the overall flavor of the sauce. Havarti gives us long melty strands of cheese with buttery and slightly sweet notes. Last but not least, smoked Gouda reinforces the smoke from the oxtail and adds caramel and nutty undertones.

Sharp Cheddar (1 year aged): Aging is the only difference between mild and sharper cheddars. The older the cheddar, the sharper the flavor. “Sharp” is not synonymous with “tangy,” “sour,” and “acidic,” although these descriptors fall within the umbrella of factors that contribute to how we perceive a cheddar’s sharpness. Think of “sharp” as a descriptor of the overall acidity, bitterness, taste and aroma of cheddar rather than an exclusive descriptor of cheddar’s tanginess.

Cheddar’s tangy flavor comes from the breakdown of lactose into lactic acid during its aging process. This acidification lowers the pH of the cheese and correlates with sour flavor. Mild cheddars are aged 2 to 3 months, sharp, 6 to 9 months, and extra-sharp 1½ to 2 years old. Cheddar’s bitterness also increases with age and comes from increased levels of bitter peptides in the cheese.

With respect to the aroma and umami in cheddar two processes are primarily responsible: proteolysis and lipolysis. Proteolysis is the break down of proteins and Lipolysis is the breakdown of fats. In the context of cheese, the process of proteolysis releases a variety of peptides and amino acids, some of which have a bitter flavor. Lipolysis, on the other hand, contributes to the aroma and taste of of cheeses. Think the “baby vomit” aroma found in feta.

Creamy Havarti: Havarti generally comes in two varieties: creamy or aged. Creamy is aged up to three months and contains more butterfat than the firmer variety aged a year or more. Creamy Havarti is buttery smooth with a subtle sweetness. The aged variety is more nutty in flavor. Creamy Havarti cheese melts exceptionally well. Similar to Swiss cheese, Havarti has small “eyes,” or holes, distributed throughout—thanks to friendly bacteria.

Smoked gouda: A semi-hard cheese originating in the Netherlands characterized by its aromatic and caramel-like flavor combined with its dense and springy texture. The smoked variety is mild and creamy, with a soft texture and toasty smokiness reminiscent of campfires and caramelized marshmallows.

The Science of Melted Cheese

Cheese is primarily comprised of fat, water, casein protein and calcium. Essentially, cheese is an emulsion of fat and water interlocked between a protein matrix. The protein matrix is further bound together by calcium. The fat, water and casein proteins otherwise are repulsed by one another like oil and vinegar in a vinaigrette. This is why you see fat pooling out of melted cheese as its protein structures are weakened by heat. When making a cheese sauce you want to prevent this type of splitting. Enter acid.

Acid dissolves the calcium “glue” from the casein protein mesh. With some but not all of the calcium dissolved the protein structure is more relaxed and therefore better able to melt and stretch. The goal in adding acid to cheese to encourage stable melting is not to completely dissolve the calcium. For instance, feta cheese is extremely acidic and merely softens when heated. Mozzarella on the other hand has a moderate acidity and melts and stretches extremely well.

*_{^{[Image: Niki Achitoff-Gray via Serious. Eats]}}*

In fondue, the melted cheese is able to stay emulsified despite the heat due to the addition of tartaric acid and moisture in wine and the citric acid in lemon juice. This bio-emulsified treat dates back to 18th century Switzerland. And while the additional flavors of wine and lemon juice are desirable in fondue we wouldn’t necessarily want them in mac and cheese or queso. To achieve this fondue-like melting affect without affecting flavor we use sodium citrate.

Sodium Citrate

Sodium citrate is the sodium salt of citric acid. As its name implies it is a sour salt. Its naturally found in citrus fruits and can be DIY synthesized at home combining citric acid, baking soda and water. However, for purity and consistency’s sake, I recommend purchasing it on Amazon. Sodium citrate is one of the ingredients in Velveeta and American cheeses that allow them to melt so well.

Although it is a sour salt, sodium citrate actually reduces cheese’s acidity. Further, it reduces calcium content, breaks down the casein protein structures into smaller bits, strengthens the fat-water emulsion and prevents the cheese emulsion from splitting while heated. The result is a smooth and creamy melted cheese sauce. Sodium citrate does not emulsify cheese on its own, instead it makes the casein protein in cheese a better emulsifier.

Use percentage:

Sodium citrate is typically used at a 2.0-3.0% ratio of total liquid plus cheese weight. Further consideration is given to the ratio of liquid to cheese as it relates to the viscosity of your sauce as seen in this ratio breakdown.

In contrast, my mac and cheese recipe uses approximately 0.42% of sodium citrate to the weight of cheese and liquids which is extremely low. Since the noodles are cooked directly in the cheese sauce, the additional starch content aids in stabilizing the emulsification. Despite the low percentage of sodium citrate, due to the starch, we still get the desired effect. Similarly, fondues are often made with cornstarch, as an insurance mechanism to prevent the emulsion from splitting. Starch is a key ingredient in this recipe and is the reason we do not need to make a roux.

The Chemistry of this Mac and Cheese Sauce

Two types of starch in pasta help form the perfect sauces:

Amylopectin: the “sticky” starch. Its water soluble. When pasta sticks to itself in the water this molecule is responsible.
Amylose: It is insoluble in water and as it gelatinizes in boiling water it acts a natural emulsifying agent forcing the oils and water in your sauce to hold together. This molecule influences how your sauce coats the pasta.

Another factor that keeps my mac and cheese sauce bulletproof emulsified is the use of evaporated milk and bone broth in lieu of water. Evaporated milk is milk that has been heated to remove approximately 60% of its water content. The highly concentrated bundles of proteins within evaporated milk aid in emulsification.

The beef bone broth I use has 7 grams of collagen. Collagen is an abundant connective tissue protein. Collagen comes from the Greek word “kólla,” which means glue. When collagen is heated to above 160ºF it converts into gelatin. Gelatin is a foaming, stabilizing and texturizing agent, but also functions as an emulsifier.

Pasta Cook Time

*^{[Image: Top left/top right 10-12 minute macaroni and bottom left/bottom right 6-8 minute macaroni}*

When made with Skinner brand 6-8 minute large elbows, the pasta reached al dente at minute 8. When made with large elbows with a cooking range of 10-12 minutes the noodles reached al dente at minute 12. The takeaway is that you will reach al dente at the end of the package instruction time range. You are free to choose the large elbow brand of your choice. I would not use small elbows as you need a bigger pasta to stand up next to the oxtail.

Oxtail: to Smoke or not to Smoke

*^{[Image: Oxtail after smoking, still on the grill]}*

There are two options for smoking the oxtail: the traditional and oven methods. The goal of this fairly brief smoking period is creating Maillard reaction and adding smoke flavor. Maillard reaction = sugar + protein reacting to form aromatic compounds which in turn help form melanoidins giving food it’s brown color. This reaction is sped up with heat. The smoked flavor comes from a complex mixture of compounds the most desirable being guaiacol.

Traditional method

^{[Image: Oxtail before and after smoking]}

Use dry wood chunks and aim for blue smoke. White smoke is bad. Blue smoke is good. Aim for the blue smoke to be barely visible so as to impart a cleaner smoke flavor. This is more of a roast-smoke than it is a low and slow ordeal. We want smoke flavor and the Maillard reaction to occur over a 1 hour period or until the thickest oxtail reaches an internal of 190ºF, whichever occurs first. The external temperature was not monitored but should range from 400°-425°F degrees mirroring temperatures we would roast the oxtail at in the oven before braising.

Oven method

^{[Image: Oxtail before and after the oven “smoke” method]}

While I highly recommend using the traditional method, my oven method is a banger as well. We use hickory smoke powder and liquid smoke to achieve maximum smoke flavor without ever lighting the grill. Liquid smoke is condensed, liquefied and filtered version of its gaseous predecessor. Hickory smoke powder is liquid smoke dried and blended with with maltodextrin, and anti caking agents.

Both make fine substitutes for traditional smoking. After rubbing the meat down we roast it off to create Malliard reaction before adding to the pressure cooker.

No matter which method you use to smoke the oxtail, finish it in pressure cooker or by braising in a dutch oven.

Smoked Oxtail

Chef Way

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Equipment

Charcoal Grill
Smoker Box
Hickory Wood Chunks
Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

4-5 lb oxtail sliced thick

Oxtail rub-traditional method

32 g kosher salt (2 tbsp)
10 g granulated onion (1 tbsp)
10 g granulated garlic (1 tbsp)
6 g MSG (1/2 tbsp) (optional)
16 g whole black peppercorns (2tbsp)

For pressure cooker-traditional method

water (enough to cover oxtail in pressure cooker)

Oxtail rub-oven method

16 g kosher salt (1 tbsp)
10 g granulated onion (1 tbsp)
10 g granulated garlic (1 tbsp)
4 g MSG (1 tsp)
7 g hickory smoke powder (1 tbsp)
8 g whole black peppercorns (1 tbsp)
liquid smoke (as binder for rub)

For pressure cooker-oven method

water (enough to cover oxtail in pressure cooker)
60 mL liquid smoke (1/4 cup)

Instructions

Traditional Oxtail Rub-traditional method

Course grind pepper in mortar and pestle.
Add the kosher salt to course ground pepper and continue to grind the salt and pepper together in the mortar and pestle.
Once the pepper is still somewhat course but smaller than before add in the remaining ingredients and lightly grind together to evenly mix the spices.
Note: consider finely grinding the pepper for a rub that applies to meat more evenly. I like a slightly larger ground pepper so the peppercorn maintains its pungency.

Smoky Oxtail Rub-oven method

Preheat oven to 425°F
Add the salt, granulated onion, granulated garlic, MSG, hickory smoke powder, and black peppercorns to spice grinder.
Blend until it is a fine powder

Smoked Oxtail-traditional method

Season your oxtail with the Traditional Oxtail Rub. Allow the meat to rest at room temperature while you prep the charcoal.
Fill a charcoal chimney up to the top with charcoal briquettes. Use your preferred method of lighting. I used a reasonable amount of lighter fluid poured down the center of the briquettes.
Light the charcoal briquettes. Let them heat until mostly white and very hot, about 20-25 minutes.
Place the oxtails on grill grates opposite from where you will put your heat source and very close to a vent.
Place three chunks of wood (apple, cherry or hickory) in a smoker box which will be placed on top of the coals.
Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest oxtail. Do so without penetrating all the way out of the bottom of the oxtail or touching the bone in the center of the oxtail. The oxtail you probe should be placed in the most evenly heated location on the grill grates. Avoid placing the probed oxtail in the hottest or coolest area of your grill/smoker.
Pour the entire charcoal chimney into the area opposite your oxtail and closest to a vent. Ensure that heated coals are very well situated to one side of the smoker/grill. Ensure that no oxtail is directly above the heated coals.
Place the smoker box with wood chunks directly on top of heated coals.
Open the vents on both sides of the smoker/grill as wide as possible. The external temperature in the grill/smoker should range from 390-400°F degrees. This mirrors the temperatures we would roast the oxtail to create browning in a traditional oven. The external temp in the oven is much less important than the internal temp of the oxtail and the browning that the high heat and smoke impart to the exterior of the oxtail.
Around the 25-30 minute mark, the first three wood chunks will have nearly burned out. Flip the probed oxtail on its side but leave it in its same area of the smoker/grill. Flip the remaining oxtail all the way over and then rotate the position of the oxtail closest to the heat source to an area furthest from the heat source.
Add the remaining three wood chunks to the smoker box directly on top of the coals and close the grill/smoker allowing the the oxtail to smoke for about 30 more minutes or until the probed oxtail reaches 190ºF internal.
When the oxtail are done smoking, they should appear reddish brown and slightly crispy on the outside.
Remove the oxtail from the smoker and place them in the cooking vessel of your pressure cooker with just enough water to completely submerge the oxtail.

Smoked Oxtail-oven method

Liberally coat the oxtail in liquid smoke. This is the binder for the rub.
Next, liberally coat the oxtail in the Smoky Oxtail Rub. Be sure to coat all sides of the oxtail with the rub.
Place the oxtail on a baking sheet, preferably lined with a rack, and place it in the 425°F preheated oven.
Roast the oxtail for 35-40 or until the oxtail is golden brown with a crispy exterior.
Remove the oxtail from the oven and place them in the cooking vessel of your pressure cooker.
Add the 60 mL of liquid smoke to the oxtail then cover them with enough water to fully submerge them.

Finishing in the pressure cooker – both methods

Cook the oxtail in the pressure cooker on the highest pressure setting for 2 hours.
When finished, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 20 minutes. Next manually vent the remaining pressure.
These can be added to any dish as is and if using in Smoked Oxtail Mac and Cheese pull the meat off the bone, remove excessively fatty bits and chop into bite size chunks.

Notes

Notes:

Avoid smoking the oxtail with an offset smoker box. The type of smoking we are doing is more of a roast with smoke. The heat will be too low if using an offset smoker box which will not to cause enough maillard reaction within the 1 hour cook time we want.

I do not monitor the internal temperature of my smoker set up. It is much less important than the visual cues of looking at the oxtails and measuring the internal temp of the oxtail.