Red Wine Oxtail
Warm up this winter season with rich, slow-cooked oxtail, gently infused with garlic and oregano.
Left to stew in a deep, flavourful broth until the meat falls off the bone, it’s the kind of meal that fills the kitchen with comfort long before it reaches the plate.
Ingredients
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1kg Oxtail pieces
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 Celery stick, finely sliced
• 2 Carrots, cut into batons
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 500ml Red wine
• 3 Bay leaves or Sprigs of rosemary
• 2 tins Whole peeled tomatoes
• 500ml Stock (if needed)
Method
1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pot. Brown the oxtail pieces in batches on every side until golden brown; it should take about 5 minutes per side. Season well with salt and pepper.
2. Set the meat aside and cook the prepared vegetables in the fat, until soft and caramelised, for 5 – 8 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste and cook for a further 2 minutes. Deglaze with the red wine. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan off. Reduce the liquid by half, to ensure there is no alcoholic residue.
4. Add the bay leaves, tinned tomatoes and stock. Bring to the boil, then spoon into the cast-iron pots. Cover with their lids and place in a preheated oven of 180° C to slowly cook. Ensure there is enough liquid in the pot to not let the stew dry out while cooking.
5. Leave this for about 1 hour. Check on the meat: a fork should be able to easily tear some of the meat off the bone. Should this not be the case, allow a further 30 minutes, or until the meat is wonderfully soft.
6. Serve straight from the cast iron pots, with buttered pumpkin or butternut mash and creamed spinach or morogo.
