If you’re looking for filling and delicious dishes that will warm you up during the cold winter and are also easy to make, Spanish recipes with oxtail are always the answer.
Among them, the beef oxtail recipe is perfect for those who don’t even want to cut the meat into cubes: all you have to do is chop some vegetables, and the pot will do all the magic for you.
Continue reading this article, and you will learn everything you need to know about this Spanish style oxtail recipe that doesn’t require any special skills to prepare but will make you look like a master chef in front of your loved ones, and even surprise yourself.
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Background of the Dish
In the early 1900s, Spain, like other countries around the world, was affected by World Wars and a civil war that weakened its economy, causing people to struggle to feed themselves.
This led them to take an interest in ingredients that were abundant in the region but had been previously overlooked, such as oxtail (which was avoided due to its slow cooking time required to make it tender).
People adapted various ways to cook it until the beef oxtail recipe emerged, which combines the beef with other chopped, cheap, and common vegetables from Andalusia, resulting in a stew-like dish filled with flavor.
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Things You’ll Need for Beef Oxtail Recipe
To make this beef oxtail recipe you will need oxtail beef, carrots, garlic cloves, onions, celery stalks, red wine, and beef broth as the main ingredients.
For this recipe, you need a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, but there are thousands of beef oxtail recipes that could be a great alternative such as the pressure cooker or the beef oxtail crockpot recipes.
Ingredients
- 2kg beef oxtail
- 1/2 cup (60gr) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 onions
- 3 carrots
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 celery stalks
- 2 cups (480ml) red wine
- 2 cups (480ml) beef broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to Make Beef Oxtail Recipe – Step by Step Guide
- For the first step in this beef oxtail recipe, you have to preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
- Now is the time to prep the vegetables for the easiest oxtail recipe. For that, peel and chop the onions and carrots into small cubes. Dice the tomatoes, discarding the seeds. Slice the celery stalks, peel, and mince the garlic cloves. Set them aside.
- After that, pat the oxtail beef dry with kitchen pepper and trim the excess fat. Season each beef with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge them in flour, shaking off any excess. You can use gluten-free flour or another similar alternative for this Spanish oxtail recipe.
- Now grab a large, oven-safe Dutch oven or heavy pot, and heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtail on all sides, working in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the pot, then set aside on a plate.
- Using the same pot, add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook until they get more fragrant and tender.
- To continue with this recipe for beef oxtails, pour in the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any flavorful bits stuck to it.
- Then, add the browned oxtail back to the pot, with the beef broth, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Now, bring the mixture to a simmer, cover the pot, and transfer it to the preheated oven.
- For the main cooking step on the best oxtail recipe, place the pot in the oven for about 1.5 to 2 hours or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
- Once done, remove the pot from the oven and skim off any excess fat. At this point, you can do a taste test and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- The perfect oxtail recipe is now ready. You can serve and enjoy the braised oxtail beef warm with your favorite side dish, such as mashed potatoes, salad, etc.
Substitution of Ingredients
If you want to make the beef oxtail recipe but you don’t have all of the ingredients there is no need to worry, there are a few changes that you can make.
For example, you can make the best ever oxtail recipe with any vegetables of your choice, playing with the amounts that you use: you can add potatoes, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, leek, etc.
It has a flavor profile similar to the red wine oxtail stew, but to change that you can use Sherry or white wine, and to make it similar to other healthy oxtail recipes you can substitute it with the same amount of beef broth.
If you want this beef oxtail recipe to be spicy like the Mexican oxtail soup then replace the tomato paste with hot sauce, and add other ingredients such as chopped jalapeño peppers, chili flakes, etc.
Lastly, just like all of the oxtail recipes, you can prepare it with a different cut of meat, although you would have to adapt the cooking time (the oxtail is one of the cuts of meat that takes the longest to cook and get tender).
Tips on Serving Beef Oxtail Recipe
With this beef oxtail recipe, you will have a perfect main dish ready to be served for lunch or dinner all year round.
First, you can serve these oxtail beef with your favorite side dishes, such as Spanish mashed potatoes, tortilla de patatas, or patatas bravas.
For a more innovative take on this dish, you can use the meat from this recipe as the filling from oxtail dumplings, just make sure to remove and discard the bones before.
Besides that, you can do like other Andalusian dishes such as the oxtails and rice or the oxtail pasta recipe, and serve this meat on top of your favorite cooked pasta or rice.
How to Store Beef Oxtail Recipe
For all the meal prep fans out here we have the best news: you can store these beef oxtails both in the fridge or freezer, and it will be as flavorful as the first day.
Once you finish preparing the beef oxtail recipe, let it cool to room temperature (it might take up to 60 minutes), then place it in an airtight covered container.
After that, you can store the dish in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 45 days, then thaw it overnight or for 12 hours when you are ready to serve it.
If the flavor, texture, or consistency of the meat seems off, then the best thing to do is to avoid consuming it.
Other simple oxtail recipes that you can prepare and store are the fantastic oxtail noodle soup, the fried oxtail recipe, and the delicious oxtail ragu recipe.
Recipe Card: Beef Oxtail Recipe
Spanish Beef Oxtail Recipe
If you're looking for filling and delicious dishes that will warm you up during the cold winter and are also easy to make, Spanish oxtail recipes are always the answer.
Among them, the beef oxtail recipe is perfect for those who don't even want to cut the meat into cubes: all you have to do is chop some vegetables, and the pot will do all the magic for you.
Continue reading this article, and you will learn everything you need to know about this Spanish style oxtail recipe that doesn't require any special skills to prepare but will make you look like a master chef in front of your loved ones, and even surprise yourself.
Ingredients
- 2kg beef oxtail
- 1/2 cup (60gr) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 onions
- 3 carrots
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 celery stalks
- 2 cups (480ml) red wine
- 2 cups (480ml) beef broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- To start with this nice oxtail recipe, preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
- Peel and chop the onions and carrots into small cubes. Dice the tomatoes, discarding the seeds. Slice the celery stalks, peel, and mince the garlic cloves. Set them aside.
- Pat the oxtail beef dry with kitchen pepper and trim the excess fat. Season with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge each piece in flour, shaking off any excess.
- In a large, oven-safe Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtail on all sides, working in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the pot, then set aside on a plate.
- In the same pot, add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook until they get more fragrant and tender.
- Pour in the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any flavorful bits stuck to it.
- Add the browned oxtail back to the pot, with the beef broth, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover the pot and transfer it to the preheated oven.
- For the cooking step of the beef oxtails recipe, place it in the oven for about 1.5 to 2 hours or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
- Once done, remove the pot from the oven and skim off any excess fat. At this point in the oven oxtail recipe, you can do a taste test and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Serve the braised oxtail beef warm with your favorite side dish, such as mashed potatoes, salad, etc.
Notes
For alternatives on the cooking process of the beef oxtail recipe, feel free to check our slow cooker beef oxtail recipes, or make it in a pressure cooker adjusting the time.
To add more flavor to this easy oxtail recipe you can take inspiration from other of our best oxtail recipes and add different herbs and spices, such as chili flakes, paprika, dill, cilantro, etc.
Instead of red wine you can make this beef oxtail stew recipe with white wine, or Sherry wine, or skip in and replace it with the same amount of broth.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 997Total Fat 62.4gSaturated Fat 14.3gCholesterol 37mgSodium 298mgCarbohydrates 100.7gFiber 31.8gSugar 9.1gProtein 25g
Hola, I’m Paulina! Together with my team, we are passionate about Southern Spain. Here we share all you need to know for great times in Southern Spain with the best places to visit, stay and, of course, the best food to eat.
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