Recipes from Andalucia

By Nick Nutter

Rabo de Toro

This version of Rabo de Toro is slow cooked for delicious fall-off-the-bone meat that is infused with red wine, garlic, and thyme aromas. Fresh vegetables make the jus to die for.

Preparation Time: 20 mins Cooking Time: 300 mins Total Time: 320 mins
Serves: 6 Difficulty: Easy Suitable for: Meat and Fish eaters

Ingredients

• 2 kg oxtail , cut into thick slices
• 2 onions , chopped
• 3 medium carrots , diced
• 1 red bell pepper , diced
• 5 cloves garlic , chopped
• 4 tomatoes , ripe, peeled, seeded and crushed
• 1 leek , roughly chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 750 ml Sangre de Toro red wine
• Salt
• Black pepper , freshly ground
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 20 gm flour

Method

1. Heat the oven to 140 C.
2. Generously coat the pieces of oxtail with flour. Remove the excess flour.
3. Heat 6 tablespoons of olive oil in a large casserole over medium heat. Add the pieces of oxtail. Brown the meat on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
4. In the same casserole, heat 6 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic, bell pepper and carrots.
5. Brown for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
6. Add the leeks, bay leaves and thyme to the pan and sauté for another 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking for 15 minutes.
7. Add the red wine, stir well and add the reserved meat.
8. Bring to a simmer then place in the hot oven.
9. After 4 hours, remove the pieces of meat that should be very tender and prepare the sauce.
10. Put all the cooking liquid and vegetables in a food processor and process until smooth.
11. Pour the sauce back into the casserole and return the meat.
12. Reheat and serve (even better the following day).