2023 Vuelta España - Stage 15: Pamplona to Lekunberri.
While the end-stage town name really intrigued me, as it sounds like a town that would be located in a Scandinavian country as opposed to Spain, I decided to base my meal off of the start of today’s stage. Pamplona is world renown for bullfighting and the annual running of the bulls. So, I decided to make Rabo de Toro, or as we all know it: oxtail. This braise is a perfect Sunday meal. A little prep, then let it go low and slow for a couple hours and you’re ready to eat.
Oxtail Stew
3 lbs oxtail
2 medium onions, diced
2 carrots, halved and chopped
2 garlic cloves, rough chop
2 bay leaves
Sprig of thyme
3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup red wine
½ cup dry sherry
½ cup brandy
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Trim the large chunks of fat from the oxtail, leaving just a small portion surrounding the meat. Season the beef with kosher salt and black pepper and place in the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the stew ingredients are prepared.
While the oxtail cooks, in a large dutch oven, add a couple of tablespoons of oil and heat over medium. Add in the onions, carrots, garlic and herbs with a pinch of salt and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
Add in the tomatoes with a pinch of salt and continue to cook until they soften, about another 10 minutes.
Pour in the liquid contents and bring to a boil.
Add in the browned oxtails, along with a pinch of salt and black pepper, and cover with water.
Return to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 hours or the meat is fully tender. You will need to add a little water to the pot about halfway through.
Once the meat is ready, remove it to a platter. Using a hand blender, half-puree the pot contents, making the stew thicker, but still leaving some chunky veggies. Serve over mashed potatoes.
To serve, place some mashed potatoes on a plate, followed by some oxtail and spoon the stew liberally over the meat and potatoes. The photo above was just for photograph aesthetics. I covered the plates afterward with the delicious stew. ______________________________ Copyright 2023, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.