Traditional Spanish recipe with beef, wine and extra virgin olive oil
When I have the chance to eat this in Spain, I love to eat it. Rabo de Toro is a classic Spanish stew that originates in Andalusia, especially in cities like Cordoba and Seville. This authentic Spanish recipe is rich in flavor, easy to prepare, and a beautiful example of how extra virgin olive oil forms the basis of Spanish cuisine. When I have the chance to eat this in Spain, I love to eat it.
The dish is slowly cooked with vegetables and wine until the meat is so tender that it falls off the bone. The sauce becomes deep, aromatic, and full of flavor – a real treat for lovers of traditional Spanish recipes.
Originally, this was a dish of humble origins, made with the tail of the bull left over after bullfights. Nowadays, oxtail or veal tail is usually used, as real bull meat is hard to find.
We prepared this dish in a Crockpot slow cooker, but it can also be prepared very well in a stew pot. If you have any leftovers (which is almost impossible), consider making bitterballen out of them. Also very tasty!
Ingredients
- 1 oxtail or veal tail (cut into pieces)
- 1 onion
- 1 leek
- 3 to 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 to 3 carrots
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 glass of red wine
- 2 glasses of beef broth
- Salt
- 1 bay leaf
- Freshly ground black pepper
- A little flour to lightly dust the oxtail
- Extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
1. Prepare the meat
Have the butcher clean and cut the oxtail into pieces. Season with salt and pepper, lightly dredge the pieces in flour, and then fry them in a large pan with extra virgin olive oil until golden brown. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
2. Fry the vegetables
Finely chop the garlic, onion, leek, carrots, and red bell pepper. Add them to the same pan and sauté them over medium heat in the remaining olive oil until they start to color.
3. Stew with wine and broth
Add the pieces of meat back to the pan, pour in the wine and broth, and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and let it simmer gently for 3 to 4 hours with the lid on the pan.
We prepared this recipe in a Crockpot slow cooker and let it cook for 6 hours on low.
The Rabo de Toro is ready when the meat is so tender that it effortlessly falls off the bone. If it gets too dry, add a little extra broth.
4. Reduce the sauce
When the meat is cooked, increase the heat and let the sauce reduce slightly until it is rich and concentrated. We set the Crockpot on high for an hour.
You can leave the vegetables for a rustic texture, or purée the sauce with an immersion blender for a smooth result. We ourselves added a little cornstarch to help it bind better.
5. Serve
Serve the Rabo de Toro with fried potatoes, fries, or Ajoatao, golden brown fried in extra virgin olive oil from Spain. The combination of soft, gelatinous sauce and crispy potatoes makes this dish irresistible.
Buen provecho!
Andalusian kitchen tip
For this dish, use a strong Spanish olive oil, for example:
These oils give the dish its characteristic depth and a slightly fruity bitterness, typical of Andalusian cuisine.
