Rather than making a traditional local oxtail soup with a thin broth and peanuts, I decided to create a richer, savory oxtail stew.
I began by browning the oxtails and stew meat, then cooked the onions, added mushrooms, and finally poured in a bottle of cabernet sauvignon.
I simmered the stew for about an hour, then added diced tomatoes and bell peppers and let it cook for another hour and a half.
The kitchen filled with an amazing aroma, and the results were wonderful.
I served the stew ladled over whole grain rice with steamed green beans on the side.
The only sounds at the table were satisfied eating and lots of “Mmmmms.”
My son Cole claimed the last bowl and, after polishing it off, declared, “This may be the best thing you have EVER made.”
| Cabernet Oxtail Stew |
Recipe Type: Entree
Author: Guava Rose
Prep time: 25 mins
Cook time: 2 hours 30 mins
Total time: 2 hours 55 mins
Serves: 6
Tender pieces of oxtail and beef that melt in your mouth. The savory gravy is perfect over rice.
Ingredients
- 3 to 3-1/2 lbs lean oxtails, well trimmed of excess fat
- 1 lb lean stew meat, cut into 1″ to 1-1/2″ chunks
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2–4 tablespoons olive oil, divided (add more if needed depending on your pot)
- 1 cup onions, cut into 1″ chunks
- 1 lb fresh mushrooms, halved or quartered
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 bottle (750 ml) cabernet sauvignon
- 1-1/2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced into 1″ pieces
- 1-1/2 cups bell peppers, diced into 1″ pieces
Instructions
- Dredge the oxtails and stew meat in the flour, tossing to coat. Reserve any excess flour to thicken the stew later if desired.
- Heat some of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, brown the oxtails and stew meat on both sides, then transfer them to a plate. Reduce heat to medium. Add a bit more oil and the onions to the pot and cook about 1 minute, stirring frequently. Return the browned oxtails and stew meat to the pot and cook another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the mushrooms, then pour in the cabernet to cover the meat. Stir in the bouillon cubes, salt, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. The meat may be nearly covered by the wine at this stage; don’t worry—the mushrooms will release liquid and the stew will have plenty of cooking liquid. Cover, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes and bell peppers. Cover, lower the heat to low, and continue cooking for another 60–90 minutes, or until the meat is very tender. Stir intermittently to prevent sticking.
- If you prefer a thicker gravy, whisk some of the reserved flour with an equal amount of water until smooth, then stir this mixture into the stew. Allow it to simmer and thicken for 3–5 minutes. I usually prefer a slightly thinner gravy and only use a few tablespoons of the reserved flour.
- Remove bay leaves and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve the stew over whole grain rice with a vegetable side if desired.
- Note: Use good-quality meat and wine for the best flavor, and trim the oxtails well to avoid a greasy stew.
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