Feeling the pinch? Then braise some oxtail; it's a cinch!

I know every time you open the newspaper or turn on the TV someone is banging on about the financial crises, but this is a good news story. There's no doom and gloom here, just a few great tips on how to create beautiful food without burning a hole in your back pocket by using what I call comfort cuts.

When I think about it, I built an entire empire on cooking with comfort cuts, and who would have thought the bread and butter pudding would have made such a wonderful come back?

These cuts are affectionately known as the Cinderella cuts in the world of butchery, they are the ugly duckling cuts of meat that are sure to shine when a good amount of love, time and slow cooking is applied.

Remember the days when your mum would put everything into a crock pot before you went to school and when you arrived home to the nurturing aromas of a melt-in-the-mouth gelatinous stew, and dinner was cooked? I wonder where all of those crock pots went, are they now laying in a secret crock pot heaven?

If you spot one at a local garage sale be sure to snap it up because besides the wonderful braises you'll be able to create, the mind boggles at the things you can do while you are not slaving over a hot stove: enjoying a glass of bubbles while soaking in a hot bath or devouring your favourite cookbook by the fire, what a luxury. Think of the time you could save.

Comfort cuts include oxtail, osso buco, lamb shanks, chuck steak cut into big chunky pieces, chicken thighs on the bone and lamb chops.

And if I don't mind saying so myself, I think I successfully pulled off one of the most delicious dinners I have ever cooked using my favourite comfort cut of them all. This is how it went.

Slow braised oxtail with bay, red wine and veal jus

• 1pm. Bought 1.5kg of oxtail from the butcher in Double Bay.


• 2pm. Boiled the proverbial out of it for five minutes and drained (a handy tip from my brother, Andy Logue).


• 2.15pm. In a Le Creuset pot, sautéed garlic, onion, carrot, celery and a couple of bay leaves in a little olive oil until soft.


• 2.25pm. Added a big spoon of tomato paste.


• 2.30pm. Added the oxtail, a tin of chopped tomato, a cup of red wine and 100g of veal jus. More on that later.


• 2.35pm. Turned off the heat and set the oven to 160°C.


• 2.40pm. Checked my e-mail.


• 4pm. Placed the pot in the oven and ran the bath.


• 5pm. Tucked Harry up in front of the news, red wine in hand and headed for my favourite little bar.


• 6pm. Met my sister for a martini.


• 6.45pm. Had another martini.


• 7.30pm. Left the bar, a bit tipsy, headed to Fratelli Fresh to pick up some polenta.


• 8pm. Arrived home, giggling, and pulled oxtail from the oven. Mmm. Beautiful. Set the table.



• 8.15pm. Poured a glass of French sauvignon blanc. Stirred up the polenta with parmesan until nice and velvety.



• 8.30pm.We ate!

Note: The best thing you can possibly have in your freezer is a sachet of veal jus. I just keep it in the door and saw a piece off the old block whenever I need to enrich a dish.

YOUR SAY: Got a great 'comfort cut' dish? Tell us below!