There are some dishes you simply can’t rush, and Spanish rabo de toro is one of them.
This wonderful Andalusian stew is made with oxtail, slowly cooked in red wine with onions, carrots, garlic, tomatoes and herbs until the meat is so tender it almost falls away from the bone.
And the sauce? That’s probably my favorite part.
After several hours of cooking, the vegetables, wine and juices from the meat come together in a beautifully rich, silky sauce. It’s the kind of sauce that makes you reach for another piece of bread, even when you’re already full.
A Traditional Dish from Córdoba
Rabo de toro is particularly associated with Córdoba in southern Spain.
Traditionally made with bull’s tail, the dish has a long history connected with the city’s bullfighting culture. Today, oxtail is much more commonly used, and you’ll find different versions in restaurants and home kitchens throughout Spain.
Like so many traditional Spanish recipes, every cook seems to have a slightly different way of preparing it.
My version uses a generous amount of red wine, plenty of vegetables and a few simple herbs.
There’s nothing particularly difficult about making it. You just need to give it time.
Worth Waiting For
I love making rabo de toro on a day when we’re spending most of our time at home.
Once everything is in the pot, it can simmer away for hours while I get on with other things.
The meat becomes beautifully tender, and the sauce develops that wonderful depth you only get from slow cooking.
We love it with creamy mashed potatoes, although Spanish fried potatoes or a good piece of crusty bread are just as delicious.
And here’s a little tip: make it the day before if you can.
Like many slow-cooked stews, rabo de toro tastes even better after the flavors have had time to develop overnight.
It’s a lovely dish for a special dinner, but just as welcome on a chilly evening when all you want is something warm and comforting.
Rabo de Toro – Spanish Oxtail Stew in Red Wine
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg 2.6 lb oxtail, cut into pieces at the joints, or beef shanks as an alternative
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 2 carrots diced
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 leek sliced and thoroughly washed
- 2 ripe tomatoes finely chopped
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 500 ml about 2 cups + 2 tbsp full-bodied dry red wine, such as Rioja
- 300 ml 1¼ cups beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- Fine sea salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- A little fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 1 small sprig fresh thyme optional
- Creamy mashed potatoes Spanish fried potatoes or crusty bread
Method
- Remove any loose bone fragments from the oxtail pieces and pat the meat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then dust lightly with the flour, shaking off any excess.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtail pieces on all sides, working in batches so the pan doesn’t become overcrowded. Allow approximately 8–10 minutes in total for browning. Remove the meat and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onions, carrots and sliced leek to the same pot. Cook for approximately 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the chopped garlic and cook for another minute, stirring to prevent it from burning.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for approximately 4–5 minutes, until they begin to break down and release their juices.
- Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release all the flavorful browned bits. Allow the wine to simmer for approximately 5 minutes.
- Return the browned oxtail to the pot, together with any juices that have collected on the plate. Pour in the beef stock and add the bay leaves and thyme.
- Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid and cook for approximately 3–4 hours, or until the meat is extremely tender and pulls away easily from the bone.
- Check the stew occasionally, turning the meat and making sure there is enough liquid in the pot. Add a little hot water or extra beef stock if necessary. The sauce should simmer very gently, not boil rapidly.
- Once the meat is tender, carefully remove the oxtail pieces and place them on a warm plate. Remove the bay leaves and thyme stem from the sauce.
- For a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender to partially or completely blend the cooked vegetables into the cooking liquid. Alternatively, leave the sauce rustic, with the vegetables still visible.
- If the sauce is too thin, simmer it uncovered over medium heat for approximately 5–10 minutes, until it reaches your preferred consistency. Skim off any excess fat from the surface.
- Return the oxtail pieces to the sauce and warm gently for a few minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve the rabo de toro hot, with plenty of sauce spooned over the meat. Garnish with a little fresh parsley and thyme, if desired, and serve with mashed potatoes, Spanish fried potatoes or crusty bread.
