If you still don’t understand the reason behind the popularity of Spanish oxtail recipes in recent years, then you’re in the right place to discover it.
We know there are hundreds of Spanish recipes with oxtail as the main ingredient, but today we will focus on the oxtail ragu recipe: a dish that has been there for the Andalusians in their toughest moments and is now enjoyed worldwide.
Keep reading to learn all about how to make this recipe at home, along with other tips so you can adapt the ingredients to your taste, store it without it going bad, and serve it while enhancing its flavors.
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Background of the Dish
If you’re wondering what oxtail ragu is, let us tell you that the answer is super simple: it’s a sauce used as a topping for pasta or polenta, where the main ingredients are oxtail, wine, broth, and a mix of vegetables.
During the economic crisis caused by the Spanish Civil War in the early decades of the 1900s, oxtail ragu recipes became popular because to make it you only needed inexpensive ingredients that were found in all Andalusian homes.
Over time, thanks to the delicious and mesmerizing flavor of this dish and its versatility in being used in various recipes, the oxtail ragu recipe expanded its audience, reaching all social classes and the population of Andalusia and even Spain in general.
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Things You’ll Need for Oxtail Ragu Recipe
To prepare the oxtail ragu recipe you need oxtail, beef (or vegetable) broth, wine, onions, carrots, and garlic cloves as the main ingredients.
For the equipment, you will also need a Dutch oven or a similar pot or baking tray to cook the oxtail in.
Ingredients
- 2.5kg oxtail
- 2 cups (480ml) beef or vegetable broth
- 1 cup (240ml) red wine
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 onions
- 2 carrots
- 3 celery stalks
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can (425gr) crushed tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)
- Cooked pasta or polenta (for serving)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
How to Make Oxtail Ragu Recipe – Step by Step Guide
- For the first step on this Spanish-style oxtail recipe you just have to preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- After that, clean, peel, and finely chop the onions, carrots, and celery stalks. Also, peel and mince the garlic cloves. Set them aside.
- Then, using kitchen paper, pat the oxtails dry and cut them into medium-sized cubes. Keep in mind that cutting them is what makes it faster to cook. Season them with salt and pepper.
- Now grab a large, oven-safe Dutch oven (or similar baking tray) and heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtail pieces on all sides. Once they are golden, set them aside.
- Using the same pot, add chopped onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables reach a soft texture, for about 5 minutes. Also, add minced garlic and cook for one more minute.
- After that, stir in the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes to develop its flavor. Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. You could use sherry or white wine for this gourmet oxtail recipe too.
- To continue making this Spanish oxtails recipe, return the browned oxtail to the pot. Add crushed tomatoes, beef or vegetable broth, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
- Now, cover the Dutch oven with a lid or foil and transfer it to the preheated oven. Braise the ragu oxtail for 1.5 to 2 hours or until the meat is tender and falls off the bone.
- Once done, remove the braised oxtail ragu from the oven. Skim off any excess fat from the surface. Discard bay leaves and taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- To finish this oxtail ragu recipe, serve the meat and sauce over cooked pasta or polenta. Garnish the oxtail ragu with grated Parmesan cheese.
Substitution of Ingredients
If you like to let your imagination flow while cooking, then the oxtail ragu recipe will be perfect for you because you can add or replace almost every ingredient.
When it comes to the vegetables for the Spanish oxtail recipe feel free to use your favorite ones and switch the amounts that you add from each, like including bell peppers, using more carrots and less onions, etc.
You can play with the flavor profile of this oxtail bolognese by adding tomato sauce instead of wine (using the same amount plus 1/2 cup of broth to replace it).
If you want to have the same creaminess as the Spanish oxtail stew recipes, then you can add 1/2 cup (120ml) of heavy cream or a few tablespoons of cream cheese to reach that desired consistency.
Or give it a go at our delicious stews like the oxtail stew with vegetables and oxtail stew with potatoes.
Tips on Serving Oxtail Ragu Recipe
The oxtail ragu recipe is commonly served as oxtail pasta recipe or with polenta, and it is the best main dish for lunch or dinner during the cold winter.
However, instead of serving it as an oxtail ragu pasta, you can use this ragu as the topping for a Spanish oxtail soup, or by itself as the red wine braised oxtail if you don’t chop the meat into cubes.
Just like it happens with the Spanish oxtail stew recipe, this oxtail ragu pairs well with grated parmesan cheese on top, as it melts and it coates some parts of the meat with that cheesy flavor.
If you don’t like parmesan or are avoiding dairy, then you can top this oxtail ragu recipe with fresh chopped parsley, cilantro, or your favorite herbs.
Try other delicious recipes with oxtail like the oxtails in the oven, the wine braised oxtail or red wine braised oxtail.
How to Store Oxtail Ragu Recipe
This is the best oxtail ragu recipe that you will find because not only you can store it in your fridge for a couple of days, but you can also freeze it for a longer amount of time.
To store it, once you finish preparing the oxtail ragu recipe you have to let it cool to room temperature and then place it in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
After that, you can store your oxtail ragu covered in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 30 days (add a label on top with the date so that you don’t forget about it).
If something with the flavor or texture of your oxtail ragu seems off after storing, then the best thing to do is to avoid consuming it and discard it.
Other Spanish recipes that you can prepare and store in the fridge or freezer are the Spanish oxtail stew and the slow cooked oxtail ragu.
Recipe Card: Oxtail Ragu Recipe
Delicious Oxtail Ragu Recipe
If you still don't understand the reason behind the popularity of Spanish oxtail recipes in recent years, then you're in the right place to discover it.
We know there are hundreds of Spanish recipes with oxtail as the main ingredient, but today we will focus on the oxtail ragu recipe: a dish that has been there for the Andalusians in their toughest moments and is now enjoyed worldwide.
Keep reading to learn all about how to make this recipe at home, along with other tips so you can adapt the ingredients to your taste, store it without it going bad, and serve it while enhancing its flavors.
Ingredients
- 2.5kg oxtail
- 2 cups (480ml) beef or vegetable broth
- 1 cup (240ml) red wine
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 onions
- 2 carrots
- 3 celery stalks
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can (425gr) crushed tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)
- Cooked pasta or polenta (for serving)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- To start with this oxtail Spanish recipe, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Clean, peel, and finely chop the onions, carrots, and celery stalks. Peel and mince the garlic cloves. Set them aside.
- Pat the oxtails dry (with kitchen paper) and cut them into medium-sized cubes. Season them with salt and pepper.
- In a large, oven-safe Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtail pieces on all sides. Once they are golden, set them aside.
- In the same pot, add chopped onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for one more minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes to develop its flavor. Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Return the browned oxtail to the pot. Add crushed tomatoes, beef or vegetable broth, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
- Cover the Dutch oven with a lid or foil and transfer it to the preheated oven. Braise for 1.5 to 2 hours or until the oxtail is tender and falls off the bone.
- Once done, remove the Spanish ragu from the oven. Skim off any excess fat from the surface. Discard bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Serve the oxtail ragu over cooked pasta or polenta. Garnish the oxtail pasta with grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
To add an extra kick of flavor to this oxtail ragu recipe you can add one teaspoon of chili flakes, or add a chopped jalapeño pepper to the ingredients.
Using this same recipe, you can prepare a slow cooker oxtail ragu, just place all of your ingredients and cook for 6 to 8 hours.
The meat from this oxtail ragu recipe is usually served with pasta or polenta, but you can serve it for the oxtail noodle soup too.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 1054Total Fat 53.3gSaturated Fat 13.2gCholesterol 88mgSodium 437mgCarbohydrates 124.6gFiber 41.9gSugar 11.6gProtein 46.2g
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