Braised Oxtail, Rabo de Toro, Cows and Cattle
A few months ago, I posted a recipe for oxtail, a traditional Spanish dish (you can click here to check it out). However, back then I couldn’t find oxtail, but I was set on to making the dish, so I settled with short ribs, and the result was really delicious, a good substitution for sure. But last week, at my regular supermarket, I found them!
I was so surprised, I bought a few pounds of it without hesitation. Then I realized they were not exactly oxtails, but beef tails, tagged as beef oxtails. I didn’t get deterred. I followed a very Spanish recipe, typical of the south of Spain, that incorporates two different wines in its sauce, a red wine (Spanish wine would be better for this dish, like Rioja or Ribera del Duero), and Sherry, a sweeter wine. I think the tails might have some jelly in them that thickens the sauce to the perfect consistency, and braising them for over three hours, with love, makes this an outstanding dish. I’ll share a little secret: add one ounce of dark chocolate at the end of the three hours and see it melt and blend while simmering for an extra ten minutes. It adds that extra je ne sais quoi.
Every time I cook any kind of beef that is not your usual roast beef, I think of my brother-in-law Jorge. He’s a veterinarian by education, who worked for years as the purchasing director for the meat department of one of Spain’s largest supermarket chains, and now holds his dream job, as the general manager of a cattle farm, Bos Nostrum, overseeing a number of other cattle farms and a total of more than 10,000 heads of cattle. His children, like him, love animals, and want to become veterinarians like their dad one day. They feel quite at ease among the animals! Jorge’s cattle is raised naturally and traditionally, with a model based on sustainability and investing in research and innovation to offer a product of the maximum quality, while caring for the animals wellbeing. I invite you to check out his website at Bos Nostrum to learn more.
This dish is in Jorge’s honor, as he has taught me so much about the different cow parts, and about bulls, and that culture, so rooted in Spain’s history, and about the importance of preserving it.
I also hope you make this dish, and if you can’t find oxtail, or beef oxtail, or you are a bit squeamish about it, go ahead and use short ribs. The result will be equally delicious.
BRAISED BEEF OXTAIL IN A RICH TWO-WINE SAUCE
Rabo de Toro en Salsa de Dos vinos
Ingredients:
4 lbs beef oxtails
1/4 cup flour
3 Tbs olive oil
5 large carrots
2 large onions
1 head of garlic
4 Roma tomatoes
2 cups red wine sauce (preferably Spanish I used tempranillo)
1 cup sherry
3 cups chicken or beef stock
1 Tbs black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 tsp Pimentón de la Vera (or Spanish paprika)
1 Tbs butter
1 oz dark chocolate
Salt and pepper to season
Trim the oxtail pieces of any excess fat and season generously with salt and pepper. Peel and cut the carrots into 1/2 inch pieces. Peel and chop the onions and the tomatoes. Peel and smash the cloves of garlic.
Using a large storage or freezer bag, add the flour and the oxtails. Close tightly and gently shake so all the oxtail pieces are evenly coated. Shake off any excess flour from the meat pieces and discard the bag and flour in it.
Heat the olive oil in a cast iron casserole or cocotte. Working in batches if necessary, brown the meat in medium-high heat to sear on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes total (you’ll have to turn over the pieces every 2 minutes or so). Transfer the meat to a large plate. In the same oil, sauté the carrots, onions and garlic until they start to brown, about 10-12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomato and the pimentón and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the vegetables from the casserole and set aside in a large bowl.
Return the meat to the casserole and add the red wine and sherry. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium, and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the stock, the bay leaves and the peppercorns, bring to a boil, then cover and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook for two hours (now is your time to let the cocotte do its magic so you can do anything else!)
After two hours, uncover and add the vegetables, gently spreading them in the casserole. Cover and cook for another hour.
Uncover and skim part of the fat on the surface with a shallow spoon. Add the butter and chocolate and let them melt, gently stirring to mix all the flavors. Adjust the seasoning and simmer for about 10 minutes, to allow the sauce to slightly thicken.
To serve, you can garnish with some parsley or celery leaves. Serve with crusty bread.
