A rich, delicious oxtail and red wine stew, best made in the morning so it can cook gently and slowly on a low heat all day, ready for a winter supper.
Ingredients
Serves 6
- 2kg oxtail chunks
- 250 ml flour seasoned with salt & pepper
- 3 or 4 gluts of olive oil
- 50g chorizo or bacon
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 2 crushed garlic cloves
- 2- 4 celery stalks chopped
- 2- 4 carrots peeled and chopped
- 500 ml dry red wine * I used Happy Dragon Shiraz/ Pinotage blend from Darling cellars *
- 2 x bay leaves
- 5ml smoked paprika
- 400g tomato puree
- 400g tinned or fresh cherry tomatoes
- 500ml hot beef stock
- Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Cooking method
Using a large heavy based oven proof pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Dust the oxtail in seasoned flour then brown the meat in batches and set aside. You want the meat to get a nice golden brown colour.
Fry the chorizo, onion, rosemary and garlic in the same pot (add more oil if necessary). Add the finely chopped celery and carrots and fry for a few minutes until they start to soften. Add the wine, bay leaves, smoked paprika, tomato puree and cherry tomatoes and cook for five minutes before adding the oxtail back to the pot.
Simmer on the stove top on a low heat for approximately 3 hours or until meat is tender stirring as necessary and adding stock as liquid reduces. Skim excess oil off the top as the sauce thickens. The rich sauce will darken the longer it cooks, so keep it simmering as long as you can!
Serve on Parmesan mash, sprinkled with chopped parsley, a side of fine green beans and a great red wine (try Paul Cluver Pinot Noir!).
