Rabo de Toro (Gourmet Spanish Oxtail Stew)

Step 1

Pre heat the oven to 350°F. Season the oxtails generously with salt and pepper, then lightly dust the meat with flour, shaking off the excess.

Step 2

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Sear oxtails in the hot oil until nicely browned all over and then plate them out.

Step 3

In the same pot, sauté the onion, leek, bell peppers and carrots using the leftover oil until the vegetables are softened and lightly caramelized, about 7-8 minutes. Add in garlic and sauté for a minute.

Step 4

Add in diced tomatoes and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Add in Spanish sweet paprika and thyme and cook for 5-6 minutes, until tomatoes start to soften.

Step 5

Add in red wine and sherry along with bay leaves and mix well. Place the seared rabo de toro back into the sauce, making sure they get almost submerged in the liquid. Add a splash of water if needed. Bring it to simmer.

Step 6

Cover the dutch oven with a lid and bake in preheated oven for 3.5 hours. It's done when the meat is falling away from the bone. It may need 4 hours or longer if the meat is very tough. (You can also cook this on stove top for the same amount of time on medium-low heat).

Step 7

Once the meat is tender, remove oxtails and bay leaves from the sauce and purée the sauce in a blender. (If you have an immersion blender, it's great here). This step creates a smooth, thick and velvety sauce. Taste and season for salt and pepper.

Step 8

Heat this blended sauce along with oxtails back in the sauce to warm everything up again, then and serve immediately garnished with chopped parsley with fried potatoes/French fries for an authentic Spanish gourmet meal. Warm crusty bread is great too.