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1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Season the pieces of oxtail with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then roll the pieces in flour and shake or brush off all of the excess.
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2. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil until a light haze forms over it. Brown the pieces of oxtail over high heat, 5 or 6 pieces at a time, turning them with tongs until they are richly colored on all sides.
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3. Transfer the oxtail to a heavy 3- to 4-quart flameproof casserole. Now discard most of the fat from the skillet, leaving only a thin film on the bottom.
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4. Add the finely chopped onions and garlic and cook them over moderate heat, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are soft and lightly colored. Pour in the red wine and boil it briskly over high heat, stirring constantly.
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5. When the wine has cooked almost completely away, stir in the beef stock, cook for a minute or 2, then pour the entire contents of the skillet over the oxtail.
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6. Add the drained tomatoes, tomato paste arid cloves. Bring the casserole to a boil over high heat, cover it and place it on the middle shelf of the oven, regulating the heat if necessary to keep the casserole at a slow simmer.
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7. Meanwhile, cook the celery strips in the 2 cups of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. When the oxtail has cooked for 3½ hours, gently stir in the blanched celery.
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8. Cover the casserole again and cook for another 30 minutes. Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce and serve the oxtail directly from the casserole.
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