After 3 hours of slow-cooking, the oxtail is so tender yet not falling apart. The meat falls off the bone as you eat it, best served with some creamy mashed potato to soak up the beautiful red wine sauce.

One tip I have after making this red wine stew so many times is, you have to use a generous amount of red wine. Some recipes say you can use 100ml or 200ml with some fresh tomatoes, but like an authentic beef bourguignon, you will need at least half a bottle, if not a whole bottle of wine for this stew. No tomatoes.

Ingredients

1kg oxtail pieces
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
75cl bottle red wine (Any red wine will work but I prefer full-bodied ones like malbec, merlot or shiraz)
1 beef stock cube
A few sprigs fresh thyme
2 tbsp plain flour
Salt and pepper

Method

1. Season the oxtail with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Trim off any excess fat.
2. Coat the oxtail pieces in plain flour.
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Brown the oxtail over high heat for about 5 minutes, turning every now and then until nicely browned. Set aside on a plate.
4. Using the same saucepan, fry the onions in low heat for 5 minutes, add carrots and fry for another 5 minutes, until softened and lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the oxtail on top of the vegetables and add the thyme. Stir in the whole bottle of wine and beef stock cube. Bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Cover with a lid and cook on very low heat for about 3 hours. Stir every hour, turning the oxtail in the sauce.
7. After 3 hours, the meat should be very tender (but not falling apart) and the sauce should be thick. If the sauce isn’t thick enough, transfer the oxtail pieces to a plate and keep warm while you add a tiny bit of flour+water mixture to thicken the sauce on medium or high heat. Once the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency, turn down the heat, return the oxtail pieces, cover with a lid, cook for a few minutes, and then serve with creamy mashed potato.

   

Did you try this recipe and how did it go? Share with me in the comments below!

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