2021 Vuelta - Stage 13: Belmez to Villanueva de la Serena
Today, the riders will transition into a new region named Extremadura. But, before they do, I have one more Andalusian treat for you. Also, probably shouldn’t note this before the ride starts, but it’s Stage 13...on a Friday...what could possibly go wrong?! Speaking of superstitions, what gives you the creeps in the kitchen? You know, those dishes that didn’t work out so you vowed never to make it again? For me, it was oxtail. The main reason being, I didn’t know how to cook it properly the first time I made it. With oxtail, it’s just like any other braise. You have to really get a good sear/crust on the meat and then cook it for hours until it relents and becomes soft gold.
Now that I know how to cook it properly and this dish was delicious, will I cook oxtail again? Probably not. Why, you ask? There’s just not enough meat on the bone for me, and even though it was properly butchered and cooked, too much fat on the larger hunks of the tail...of yeah, this isn’t like pork “butt” which is the pig’s shoulder...oxtail is literally the tail portion of a bovine. It’s lean on meat and heavy on fat and the reason I won’t make this regularly is similar to my stance on crab: love a crabcake, don’t invite me to a crab feast where you have to painstakingly pull crab from the shell - same with lobster! If you want similar flavor and texture to oxtail, you get more bang for your buck with meatier beef short ribs.
Oxtail Stew (Guisado de Cola de Buey)
adapted from The Food of Spain, Vicky Harris
~4 lbs butchered oxtail
1 cup AP flour
2 Spanish onion
1 large leek, white and light green part, rough chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk chopped into 1-inch segments
2 garlic cloves, smashed and rough chopped
14 oz can of diced tomatoes
1.5 cups of white wine
3 cups of beef stock
1 bay leaf
1 tsp smoked paprika
Few sprigs of fresh thyme secured with butcher string
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
Unpack, separate, and dry your oxtail, removing the tiniest pieces with nary any meat. Pour the flour into a large ziplock bag, season heavily with kosher salt and black pepper. Toss in the oxtail pieces, a few at a time, and give a good shake to coat. Remove the pieces, shaking off excess flour, and place them on a platter.
Heat up 2 tbsp of oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat and get a nice, dark sear all over the oxtails. You will need to cook them in at least 2 batches depending on the size of your dutch oven. When they are browned remove them and place back on your platter.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
After all of the oxtail has been browned, discard the oil and wipe out the dutch oven. Add in 2 tbsp more of oil, and over medium heat, sauté the onions, leek, carrots, celery and garlic with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Once the vegetables have softened, add in the tomatoes, wine, stock, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Stir in the paprika and thyme and place the oxtail into the pot along with any accumulated juices. If the oxtails are not fully submerged, add in some water to just cover the meat. Return to a boil, cover, and place in the oven.
Bake the stew for about 4 hours, until the meat can easily be pulled away from the bone. Serve in shallow bowls and sprinkle on the parsley prior to serving.
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Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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