Oxtails Braised with Red Wine

Oxtails braised with red wine is a classic, hearty dish that involves slow-cooking oxtails in a rich mixture of red wine, vegetables, herbs, and spices. The process results in tender, flavorful meat that falls off the bone, with a savory sauce that’s perfect for serving over mashed potatoes, polenta, or bread.

Oxtails come from cattle, which can include various breeds of cows, bulls, or steers. The term “ox” historically refers to a castrated male bovine used for draft work, but in modern culinary contexts, “oxtail” simply refers to the tail of a bovine animal, regardless of its gender or age.

Oxtails Braised with Red Wine

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• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
• Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Oven/Slow Cooker
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

4 1/2 to 5 pounds oxtails, cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths 1 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground allspice 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 large carrots, halved 5 potatoes, sliced into wedges 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 1/2 cups dry red wine ( we use Cabernet Sauvignon) 3 to 4 sprigs each: fresh thyme, rosemary, oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon each dried) 2 cups beef broth

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Instructions

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Pat oxtail pieces dry.
3. Mix flour, salt, pepper and allspice in a zippered food bag. Add a few pieces of oxtail at a time; shake to coat well. Transfer to a plate while you coat the remaining pieces.
4. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottom Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add oxtails, in batches, in single uncrowded layer. Cook, turning occasionally, until nicely browned on all sides, about 15 minutes; transfer to a plate. Repeat to brown all the meat.
5. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat; stir carrots and potatoes into pan drippings. Cook and stir, 3 minutes.
6. Stir in garlic and red wine, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Boil gently to reduce the wine slightly, about 5 minutes.
7. Return the browned meat to the pot. Stir in the herbs and broth. Heat to a boil. Cover the pan tightly; place it in the oven. Bake, stirring once or twice, until the meat is nearly tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
8. Taste the pan juices (which will have thickened nicely from the flour); season with additional salt and pepper. Reduce the sauce further if needed; discard the herb sprigs.
9. Serve over cooked noodles in wide serving bowls. Sprinkle with parsley.

Notes

Slow cooker: Prepare the recipe through Step 4. Put browned meat, herbs and beef broth into a slow cooker. Set it to LOW and cook until meat is nearly tender, 6 to 8 hours. Add carrots and potatoes.
Continue to cook until vegetables are fork tender, about 1 to 2 hours more.

Photo credit: jeffreyw on Foter.com / CC BY