4 lb oxtails, trimmed, rinsed,
- and patted dry
Kosher salt
3 tb extra-virgin olive oil,
- divided
2 md yellow onions, minced
1 green bell pepper, stemmed,
- seeded, minced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed,
- seeded, minced
6 md cloves garlic, minced
6 oz can tomato paste
2 c dry white wine, such as
- pinot grigio
3 dried bay leaves
1/2 ts whole cloves
1 1/2 ts sazon con achiote y
- culantro
1 ts dried oregano
1/2 ts ground cumin
1 ts freshly ground black pepper
1 ts cayenne
Cooked long-grain rice and
- maduros, for serving
Rabo encendido is a Cuban dish of oxtails cooked gently in a mixture
of wine, tomato paste, and vegetables until the tough meat becomes
fork tender and all the connective tissue and fat has melted,
creating a rich sauce. It's usually served with a steaming mound of
long-grain white rice and tender maduros; the rice is handy for
mopping up the delicious sauce, and the fried sweet plantains
complement the savory bites of meat. The name translates from
Spanish to "tail on fire" which refers to the cut of meat, the warm
spice profile, and the chile heat provided by cayenne. Slow-cooking
oxtail in a low oven breaks down the otherwise tough cut and
transforms it into tender bites of meat where the fat melts. Tomato
paste and wine add acidity to balance the oxtail's richness.
This recipe, adapted from my aunt Pilar Hernandez's recipe, has it
all. Of course, every household has their own variations on the
dish; some people like to use ground allspice in the sauce, for
example, but my aunt swears by whole cloves, which infuse every bite
with warm depth. She also relies on sazon, a spice blend that's used
as the foundation for many Latin American dishes, to add a richer
color and depth to the sauce (the MSG in store-bought sazon doesn't
hurt either).
Preheat oven to 300 F and set rack in middle position. Season
oxtails all over with salt. In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon
olive oil over high heat until shimmering. Working in batches to
avoid overcrowding the pan, cook oxtails until lightly browned all
over, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer oxtails to plate, then
repeat with remaining oil and oxtails. Set aside.
Reduce heat to medium. Add onions, green and red bell peppers, and
garlic. Season lightly with salt, then cook, stirring frequently to
prevent browning, until vegetables have softened and onions are
translucent, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, stir in
tomato paste, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Return oxtails to Dutch oven along with any accumulated juices. Add
wine, bay leaves, cloves, sazón, oregano, cumin, black pepper, and
cayenne, mixing until everything is incorporated. Bring to a boil,
cover partially with lid, then transfer to oven and cook until
oxtails are tender and starting to fall off the bone, about 3 1/2
hours.
Return Dutch oven to stovetop, uncover, and cook over high heat,
stirring frequently, until the sauce reduces and thickens enough to
coat the back of a spoon, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and
pepper.
