Traditional Rabo de Toro Cordobés

Ingredients

• 2.2 kg Oxtail cut into thick pieces
• 3 pieces Sweet yellow onion
• 6 cloves Purple garlic cloves
• 1 piece Fresh red bell pepper
• 1 piece Fresh leek
• 3 pieces Fresh carrots
• 3 pieces Ripe fresh tomatoes
• 40 g All-purpose flour T55
• 4 tbsp Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
• 75 cl Full-bodied Spanish red wine such as Rioja or Toro
• 500 ml Unsalted beef broth
• 1 tbsp Spanish sweet paprika (pimentón dulce de la Vera)
• 2 leaves Dried bay leaves
• 2 pieces Whole cloves
• 1 tsp Black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 tsp Fine sea salt
• 4 sprigs Fresh flat-leaf parsley

Method

1. Thoroughly pat dry the oxtail pieces with paper towels to remove all surface moisture, season them with fine sea salt, then dredge them in all-purpose flour T55, tapping them between your hands to shake off any excess.
2. Heat the Spanish extra-virgin olive oil in a large cast-iron Dutch oven over high heat (about 180 °C). Add the meat pieces without crowding the pan and sear them for 10 to 12 minutes in total, turning every 2 to 3 minutes until a deep brown crust forms on all sides. Transfer the meat to a platter.
3. Lower the heat to medium (about 140 °C), keeping the browned drippings in the pot. Add the sliced onions, finely sliced leek, finely diced red bell pepper, and sliced carrots. Sweat for 10 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables turn translucent and tender when pressed with a spoon.
4. Add the crushed garlic cloves, grated fresh tomatoes, Spanish sweet paprika (pimentón dulce de la Vera), dried bay leaves, whole cloves, and black peppercorns. Continue cooking over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the vegetable liquid has completely evaporated and the mixture forms a glossy, syrupy paste.
5. Return the browned meat pieces and any accumulated juices to the pot. Pour in the full-bodied Spanish red wine such as Rioja or Toro and bring to a full rolling boil over high heat (100 °C) for 5 minutes uncovered, reducing the liquid by one-third and cooking off the alcohol.
6. Pour in the unsalted beef broth to submerge the meat three-quarters of the way. As soon as it comes to a simmer (about 95 °C), cover tightly with a lid, lower the heat to the lowest setting, and let simmer at a very gentle, steady simmer (between 85 °C and 90 °C) for 3 hours 30 minutes, turning the meat halfway through, until the meat shreds effortlessly with a fork (at least 92 °C internal temperature).
7. Gently remove the oxtail pieces with a slotted spoon and keep warm under a sheet of aluminum foil for 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and whole cloves from the pot.
8. Pass the sauce and vegetables through a food mill or a fine-mesh sieve, pressing with the back of a ladle to extract the pulp. Pour the puréed sauce back into the Dutch oven and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until syrupy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
9. Return the meat pieces to the simmering sauce for 3 minutes over low heat to warm them through and glaze them, then transfer to warm plates and sprinkle with freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

555.7 kcal

Protein

47.65 g

Carbohydrate

17.28 g

Fat

23.42 g

Fibre

3.04 g

Calcium

42.37 mg

Iron

1.94 mg

Magnesium

26.96 mg