Oxtail stew
Slow-braised oxtail cooked at low temperature until meltingly tender in a rich wine and tomato sauce, perfect served with mashed potatoes and vegetables.
Updated : 14 January, 2026
Easy
About 45 min.
Ingredients
1.3 kilograms
Oxtail
3 tablespoon
Flour
3 tablespoon
Sunflower oil
2
Onion
2 clove
Garlic
2
Carrot
2
Celery stalk
0.5 teaspoon
Dried thyme
2
Laurel leaf
300 milliliters
Red wine
500 milliliters
Meat broth
2 tablespoon
Tomato purée
to taste
Salt
to taste
Ground black pepper
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 150°C.
Step 2
Rinse the oxtail pieces and pat them dry with kitchen paper, trimming away as much excess fat as possible. Place the flour in a freezer bag and season generously with salt and pepper. Add half of the oxtail to the bag and shake to coat, then transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining oxtail pieces.
Step 3
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Brown the oxtail for about 10 minutes, turning regularly, until well coloured all over. Add a little more oil if the pan becomes dry. Transfer the browned oxtail to a flameproof casserole dish, working in batches if needed.
Step 4
Lower the heat under the pan and add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery, adding a little more oil if necessary. Cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are soft and lightly golden.
Step 5
Spoon the vegetables over the oxtail in the casserole, then add the thyme and bay leaves. Pour in the wine, beef stock and tomato purée, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a gentle simmer on the hob. Cover with a lid and place in the centre of the oven to cook for 3 hours. After 1½ hours, stir the casserole and turn the oxtail in the sauce.
Step 6
When the cooking time is complete, the meat should be tender and falling from the bone, and the sauce thick and rich. Remove the casserole from the oven, lift the oxtail pieces onto a plate, and keep warm.
Step 7
Skim any excess fat from the surface of the sauce.
Step 8
Divide the oxtail between six warmed plates and spoon the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if using, and serve with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables.
Author note
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