Spanish recipes with oxtail have the power to make you feel cozy, warm, and at home with just one bite, which is much needed during the cold winter days.
The Rabo de Toro recipe blends vegetables, tender oxtail, and a reduction sauce made with red wine and broth to take your taste buds on a trip to Southern Spain.
Keep reading this article, and you will learn how to make it step by step, with some tricks to nail the storing, serving, and customization of this recipe.
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Background of the Dish
The Spanish recipes that feature oxtail as one of the main ingredients have always been associated with the lower classes, as it is an inexpensive cut of meat but has the disadvantage that it needs to be cooked for a long period to become edible.
In the case of this rabo de toro recipe, it has a medium cooking time, between 2 and 3 hours. However, this also means that the complexity of the recipe is minimal, as most of the time is inactive (with the ingredients cooking in the oven).
Continuing with the essence of economical recipes, this dish only requires basic ingredients that everyone has at home, such as potatoes, garlic, onions, carrots, and a bit of wine.
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Things You’ll Need for Rabo de Toro
To make this Rabo de Toro recipe, you will need oxtail, potatoes, carrots, onion, beef broth, red wine, and garlic cloves as the main ingredients.
You will find that we have a large variety of articles with the best oxtail recipes, and some of them have different cooking methods than the one portrayed here, such as the Spanish oxtail soup and the fried oxtail recipe.
Ingredients
- 2kg oxtail
- 1 cup (110gr) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
- 1 cup (240ml) red wine
- 2 cups (480ml) beef broth
- 1 onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 4 potatoes
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 red bell pepper
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)
How to Make Rabo de Toro – Step by Step Guide
- For the first recipe on this rabo de toro recipe, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Now, peel and chop the onion and potatoes into small pieces, and the carrots into round slices. Wash and chop the tomatoes and bell peppers into small squares, discarding the seeds. Peel and mince the garlic cloves. Chop the celery stalks and set all of the veggies aside.
- After that, pat the oxtail dry with paper towels and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Season the pieces with salt and pepper, and dredge them in flour, shaking off the excess.
- Grab a large, oven-safe Dutch oven or heavy pot and heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the oxtail pieces on all sides until they develop a deep, golden crust. Remove the Spanish oxtail and set aside.
- Using the same pot, add a bit more olive oil if needed. Sauté the chopped onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and red bell pepper for 5 to 7 minutes, as they’ll finish cooking later in this rabo de toro oxtail recipe.
- Then, pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any flavorful bits stuck to the bottom.
- To continue with this Spanish oxtail recipe, add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, red wine, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, and smoked paprika. Stir well to combine.
- After that, return the browned oxtail pieces to the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Once simmering, cover the pot with a lid and transfer it to the preheated oven.
- Now, bake for about 2 to 3 hours or until the oxtail is tender and falling off the bone. Stir occasionally and check the liquid level, adding more broth or wine if needed. In the last 40 minutes of cooking add the potatoes.
- Once the rabo de toro is done, remove the pot from the oven and discard the bay leaf. Skim off any excess fat from the surface. Do a taste test and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Your Spanish oxtails recipe is now ready, so you can serve the rabo de toro con patatas hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley.
Substitution of Ingredients
This is the best Rabo de Toro recipe because it only calls for basic ingredients that everyone has at home, but there are some substitutions that you can make to enhance them.
If you want to give a twist to this traditional oxtail recipe, it’s a great idea to take inspiration from other simple oxtail recipes.
For example, if you crave some spiciness, you can follow the seasonings from the Mexican oxtail soup, such as chili flakes, jalapeño peppers, hot sauce, etc.
If you are still up for the fusion between cuisines, then borrow some ingredients from the oxtail dumplings, such as grated ginger, five-spices, soy sauce, and fish sauce, to nail that flavor profile.
Besides that, this Rabo de Toro recipe can be made with any type of vegetables, so, just like the oxtail soup with mixed vegetables, feel free to add others like parsnip, cabbage, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, etc.
Tips on Serving Rabo de Toro
Something we love about this oven baked oxtail recipe is that once you finish making it, it will be ready to be served, making it the perfect main dish for lunch or dinner.
To add more flavors while serving, you can top it with fresh chopped herbs, grated Parmesan cheese, or a drizzle of hot sauce for an extra kick.
Unlike other oxtail recipes, technically, this Rabo de Toro dish could also be served as an appetizer or tapa: just place bite-sized pieces of the Spanish-style oxtail on top of sliced bread and enjoy.
Give a go to our oxtail recipe with red wine and impress everyone who comes for dinner.
Besides that, the meat from this Rabo de Toro recipe can be used as the main ingredient for oxtail noodle soup and the old-fashioned oxtail soup recipe too.
How to Store Rabo de Toro
Spanish-style oxtail stew recipes are fantastic if you enjoy preparing meals in advance or often find yourself with leftovers.
Storing the meat from this Rabo de Toro recipe is super simple; you just have to let it cool to room temperature (for about 45 minutes) and then place it in an airtight, freezer-safe container covered with a lid.
After that, store the Spanish oxtail for up to 3 days in the fridge or for 45 days in the freezer (with a label on top to keep track of the date).
Then, you’ll be able to reheat the dish in the microwave or oven, and the flavor and texture should be exactly the same as the original one.
If you’re a fan of meal prep and want to improve your diet, we have other healthy oxtail recipes that you can make and store, such as the Basque oxtail stew, the Portuguese oxtail stew and oxtail stew with vegetables.
Recipe Card: Rabo de Toro
Delicious Rabo de Toro Recipe
Spanish oxtail recipes have the power to make you feel cozy, warm, and at home with just one bite, which is much needed during the cold winter days.
The Rabo de Toro recipe blends vegetables, tender oxtail, and a reduction sauce made with red wine and broth to take your taste buds on a trip to Southern Spain.
Keep reading this article, and you will learn how to make it step by step, with some tricks to nail the storing, serving, and customization of this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2kg oxtail
- 1 cup (110gr) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
- 1 cup (240ml) red wine
- 2 cups (480ml) beef broth
- 1 onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 4 potatoes
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 red bell pepper
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- To start with this rabo de toro recipe, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Peel and chop the onion and potatoes into small squares, and the carrots into round slices. Wash and chop the tomatoes and bell peppers into small squares, discarding the seeds. Peel and mince the garlic cloves. Chop the celery stalks and set aside.
- Pat the oxtail dry with paper towels and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Season the pieces with salt and pepper, and dredge them in flour, shaking off the excess.
- In a large, oven-safe Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the oxtail pieces on all sides until they develop a deep, golden crust. Remove the Spanish oxtail and set aside.
- In the same pot, add a bit more olive oil if needed. Sauté the chopped onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and red bell pepper until the vegetables are softened and the onions are translucent.
- Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any flavorful bits stuck to the bottom.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, red wine, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, and smoked paprika. Stir well to combine.
- Return the browned oxtail pieces to the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Once simmering, cover the pot with a lid and transfer it to the preheated oven.
- Bake for about 2 to 3 hours or until the oxtail is tender and falling off the bone. Stir occasionally and check the liquid level, adding more broth or wine if needed. In the last 40 minutes of cooking add the potatoes.
- Once done, remove the pot from the oven and discard the bay leaf. Skim off any excess fat from the surface. Do a taste test and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Serve the rabo de toro al vino hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
For this Spanish-style oxtail recipe, you can use any wine of your choice (such as Sherry or white) but red wine is the best one.
Other herbs and spices that you can add to this rabo de toro recipe are five-spices, dill, cilantro, turmeric, chili flakes, etc.
If you want it to have a similar consistency to the classic oxtail stew with potatoes then you have to add 2 more cups of broth.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 632Total Fat 17.3gSaturated Fat 5.1gCholesterol 37mgSodium 284mgCarbohydrates 110.1gFiber 34gSugar 9gProtein 27.8g
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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