Oxtails braised in red wine and tomato passata is comfort food at its very best. The oxtails give immense flavor to the dish, which is complemented by garlic, carrots, pancetta and herbs.
The dish tastes great with pasta and parmesan, but you can also enjoy it with a buttery mashed potato if you like.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 onions
5 cloves of garlic
2 stalks of celery
2 carrots
1.5-2 kg oxtails cut into coarse pieces
Oil for frying
100 g cubed pancetta
600 g tomato passata
4 tbsp. tomato puree
½ bottle of red wine
3-4 sprigs of thyme or 1 tsp. dried
3-4 sprigs of oregano or 1 tsp. dried
2 bay leaves
400 g pasta, e.g. parpadelle
Parmesan as topping
Salt and pepper
Step by step
Peel and chop onion and garlic. Cut the celery into fine cubes. Peel the carrots and cut them into fine cubes.
Brown the oxtails in oil in a large frying pan and set aside. Now fry the pancetta in the same pan until it starts to take color. It should not become crispy.
Add the onion, garlic, celery and carrot to the pan and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Don’t let the vegetables take color.
Add the tomato passata, tomato puree, red wine, herbs and bay leaves together with the oxtails, bring the pan to a boil and skim if necessary. Put a lid on the pot and let it lightly simmer for 2-3 hours, until the oxtails are tender. Remove from the pan and cool until they can be handled. Meanwhile, cook the sauce a little without the lid. If there is a lot of fat on top, discard some of this.
Pick the meat from the bones and return it to the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook the pasta until al dente and toss with the oxtail ragout.
Enjoy with freshly grated parmesan on top.
