This dish hails from Pamplona, Navarra, from the ancient kingdom of Navarre. Pamplona, the capital has always been a benchmark for Pyrenee trade and the bull running tradition, often read about in literary author, Ernest Hemmingway´s The Sun Also Rises, and the film starring Tyrone Power and Ava Gardner ... Oxtail or Beef Tail on a slow low flame; fuego lento simmered for 2 1/2 hours is the key to this delicious stew ...
Here is the Navarran traditional recipe ...
ESTOFADO DE RABO DE TORO ( can sub: beef tails ) ...
3 oxtails sliced into their natural sections
1/4 cup Evoo ( preferably Spanish Evoo )
4 ounces of Iberian Ham sliced in viruta tiny strips or sub: Prosciutto di Parma
1 large onion or Cebolleta ( a long green onion, with 2 or 3 dangling onion balls, often called a spring onion in the USA )
2 cloves of garlic crushed in mortar with pestle
1 leek diced finely ( one can sub celery stalk without leaves )
1 carrot peeled and diced finely
2 pounds of over ripe red tomatoes, peeled and seeded; and minced finely
1 tblsp. of Sweet Smoked Spanish Paprika called Pimentón de La Vera Dulce ( Latin Grocers )
1 dried red chili pepper ( called a Guindilla ) or red pepper flakes sprinkled
1 cinammon stick
3 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 bottle of Navarran or La Rioja red wine ( use Crianza aged red wine - Tempranillo Grape Mono variety or combined varietal with Tempranillo as key grape variety
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. black peppercorns crushed
INSTRUCTIONS ...
1) Rinse the meat and pat dry
2) In a heavy earthenware or Dutch type oven ( with Lid ), heat some Evoo and sauté the oxtails ( they should be comfortably accomodated ), and sauté until golden; then, remove and tent on platter
3) sauté the ham, onion, leek, garlic and carrot gently on simmer until softened; and then caramelize a wee bit ...
4) Do not let the veggies get mushy or too brown
5) Now add the bay leaf and the tomatoes, spices, and the red wine ... Let it all bubble up on high simmer to burn off the alcohol and so that the flesh of the tomatoes shall reduce to a thick salsa
6) return the oxtails to the vessel, and add some beef broth homemade to submerge and place the flame on very low simmer
7) Simmer on very low heat for 2 hours, and check status; this can simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours and check from time to time; adding a bit more beef broth as needed or boiling water if necessary
8) readjust spices after adding extra broth or boiling water
9) serve this dish with rustic warm oven bread; the same red wine that it is cooked with and a few boiled potatoes of choice ( separately).
Delicious, and great for this brisk end of winter season;
Have nice wkend,
J.M.