Oxtail Stew in Red Wine

Name: Oxtail Stew in Red Wine
Yield: Serves 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 1/3 lbs oxtail or beef tail, cleaned and cut into pieces (about 1.5 kg); 2 cups good red wine (about 500 ml; avoid boxed wine); 2 cups chicken or beef broth (about 500 ml); 4 shallots; 2 green onions; 1 red bell pepper; 3 carrots; 2 tomatoes; 6 cloves garlic; 1 pinch saffron; 1 small piece fresh ginger; 1 teaspoon honey or agave; 1 square (about 1 oz) 90% dark chocolate; 1 tablespoon butter; 1 bunch fresh oregano; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 bay leaves; as needed olive oil,; as needed salt and pepper,

Lub @tania

España

There are many recipes for this classic dish from Córdoba, and even an official version. My take is close to the official recipe, but with a couple of twists.
In the steps, you'll see I use a pressure cooker—it comes out perfectly and saves hours. If you use a regular pot, the meat will need 3 to 4 hours; in a slow cooker, about 8 hours.

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Ingredients

A long time

Serves 4 servings

3 1/3 lbsoxtail or beef tail, cleaned and cut into pieces (about 1.5 kg)
2 cupsgood red wine (about 500 ml; avoid boxed wine)
2 cupschicken or beef broth (about 500 ml)
4shallots
2green onions
1red bell pepper
3carrots
2tomatoes
6 clovesgarlic
1 pinchsaffron
1small piece fresh ginger
1 teaspoonhoney or agave
1square (about 1 oz) 90% dark chocolate
1 tablespoonbutter
1 bunchfresh oregano
1cinnamon stick
2bay leaves
as neededolive oil,
as neededsalt and pepper,

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Steps

A long time

1

Marinate the oxtail pieces the night before. You can add any ingredients you like or have on hand. I cover the oxtail with good red wine, add three crushed garlic cloves, a piece of ginger, a couple of sprigs of fresh oregano, a bay leaf, and a bit of crushed black pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
2

Pat the oxtail pieces dry, strain the wine and set it aside, and discard the garlic and vegetables used for marinating. Season the meat with salt and pepper, and brown it over high heat with a generous splash of olive oil in the pressure cooker. Once browned on all sides, set the meat aside on a plate.
3

In the same pot and using the same oil, start making the sofrito (sautéed base). It's a good idea to season the vegetables with salt as you add them to the pot.
4

First, sauté the green onions, shallots, and garlic over low heat for 10 minutes. Then, over higher heat, add the chopped carrots and red bell pepper (I peel the pepper, but that's optional). Add the peeled and chopped tomatoes (the official recipe says not to peel the tomatoes, but I do since I peel the pepper).
5

When the sofrito is ready, add the reserved wine and let it cook for a few minutes so the alcohol evaporates completely. If it still smells strongly of alcohol, give it more time.
6

Add the oxtail pieces back to the pot along with the cinnamon stick, a sprig of fresh oregano, the bay leaf, the teaspoon of honey, and enough broth to cover everything. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam. Cover and cook over medium heat for 1 hour.
7

Remove the meat and set it aside. If the bones come off easily, it's perfect. Blend the broth and, if desired, strain it. Pour the broth into a saucepan and reduce over high heat. When it starts to thicken and bubble, add the butter and chocolate and mix well.
8

Return the meat to the sauce, add the pinch of saffron, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. You can serve the meat off the bone and in pieces or as whole pieces. Honestly, this sauce is finger-licking good—I recommend serving the pieces whole so you can enjoy every bit!
9

Serve with potatoes prepared however you like. The ones in the photo are oven-roasted—a great healthy option I'll share another time.