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Rabo De Toro

Rabo De Toro

Traditional Spanish Oxtail Braised in Red Wine

This Andalusian classic transforms tough oxtail into fork-tender perfection through slow, patient braising. The meat practically falls off the bone after hours in red wine and aromatics, creating a deeply savory sauce that's pure comfort in a bowl.

SpanishDinnerComfort FoodOne PotSlow CookerBraisingBeefFallWinter
Prep30 min
Cook3 hrs
Total3 hrs 30 min
Servings6
Difficultymedium

Ingredients

  • 30 mlvegetable oil for browning
  • 2 kgoxtail pieces, segmented and trimmed of excess fat
  • 2 yellow onions, roughly chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed with the flat of a knife
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks
  • 2 celery sticks, chopped
  • 1 kgripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 750 mldry red wine, something you'd drink
  • 250 mldry sherry, preferably fino or manzanilla
  • 2 bay leaves, fresh if possible
  • 60 gfresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

Instructions

  1. Get your oven heating to 355°F — you'll need steady, moderate heat for the long braise ahead.
  2. Warm the oil in a heavy, oven-safe Dutch oven over high heat until it shimmers. You want serious heat here for proper browning.
  3. Sear the oxtail pieces in batches, turning them to brown deeply on all surfaces. Don't crowd the pot — good browning means better flavor. Transfer the browned pieces to a plate.
  4. Drop the heat to medium and add the onions to the same pot. Let them soak up all those browned bits as they cook until softened and translucent.
    ⏱ 3 min
  5. Toss in the garlic, carrots, and celery. Keep stirring and cooking until the vegetables start to soften and smell fragrant — you're building the flavor foundation.
    ⏱ 5 min
  6. Add the chopped tomatoes and let them break down into a chunky, jammy sauce. The natural sugars will concentrate and deepen the flavor.
    ⏱ 5 min
  7. Nestle the browned oxtail back into the pot, stirring gently to coat everything with the tomato mixture.
  8. Crank the heat back up to high and pour in the red wine. Let it bubble vigorously to cook off some alcohol and concentrate the flavors.
    ⏱ 3 min
  9. Add the sherry and bay leaves, giving everything another brief, bubbling cook. The alcohol should smell less sharp now.
    ⏱ 2 min
  10. Pour in just enough water to barely cover the ingredients — too much liquid dilutes the flavor. Bring everything to a strong bubble.
  11. Cover tightly with the lid and slide the pot into your preheated oven. The gentle, even heat will work magic on that tough oxtail.
    ⏱ 1 hr 30 min
  12. Check on the liquid level every hour — if it looks low, add a splash more water. The oxtail should stay mostly submerged.
  13. After 90 minutes, reduce the oven to 320°F and stir in the chopped parsley. Continue cooking for another hour and a half until the meat is falling-apart tender.
    ⏱ 1 hr 30 min
  14. Carefully lift out all the oxtail pieces and any loose meat that's fallen off the bone. Set them aside in a serving bowl.
  15. Pour everything left in the pot through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Press the vegetables firmly to extract every drop of flavor, then discard the solids.
  16. Return the oxtail to the strained sauce and warm gently over low heat, stirring carefully to avoid breaking up the meat.
  17. Serve immediately while steaming hot, ideally alongside crispy potato wedges that can soak up every bit of that rich, wine-dark sauce.