Rabo Encendido or Rabo Guisado [Recipe + Video] Oxtail Stew
User Reviews
5
Rabo Encendido or Rabo Guisado [Recipe + Video] Oxtail Stew
Description
Rabo Encendido or Rabo Guisado is a traditional oxtail stew where the oxtail pieces are seasoned and rested with oregano, lime juice, and salt, then browned and simmered slowly in a pot to develop deep flavor and tender meat. The addition of diced carrots, celery, chopped red onion, cubanelle peppers, fresh thyme leaves, pitted green olives, chickpeas, tomatoes, tomato sauce or paste, crushed garlic, and a scotch bonnet pepper creates a complex, layered sauce with savory, slightly spicy, and herbal notes.
The long, slow cooking process allows the collagen in the oxtail to break down, producing tender meat alongside a rich, thick sauce. Fresh parsley or cilantro is added at the end for brightness. This stew pairs well with rice or hearty sides to soak up the robust sauce.
As a practical tip, the stew can be prepared using a pressure cooker to reduce cooking time while retaining tenderness. Additional water beyond the meat volume is recommended in the pressure cooker to ensure proper pressure building and even cooking.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs Oxtail 1.8 kg, cut in the joints
- 1 teaspoon oregano dry, ground
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly-cracked or ground
- lime juice of 1
- 2¼ tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (soy, corn, or peanut)
- 2 carrot diced
- 1 cup chickpeas boiled
- ¼ cup green olives pitted
- 2 red onion chopped, large
- 2 cubanelle pepper cubanelle) peppers, chopped, aka cubanela
- 4 prigs thyme optional) remove the sticks, we'll just use the leaves, fresh
- 8 tomato chopped
- 1 cup tomato sauce or 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 2 celery chopped, stalk
- 4 garlic crushed, cloves
- ½ scotch bonnet pepper or habanero, crushed
- 4 prigs parsley or cilantro, minced
Instructions
1. Seasoning
- To season the oxtail, place it in a large bowl and add oregano, black pepper, lime juice, and a tablespoon of salt. Let it rest covered in the fridge for an hour or two.
2. Cooking the oxtail
- Once it has rested, heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or, preferably, a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.Stir in oxtail and cook stirring until it browns. It may release some liquid, just let it evaporate eventually and cook until it browns.
3. Cooking the oxtail
- After browning the oxtail, add a cup of water, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat to medium and simmer covered until the meat is very tender, uncovering and stirring every 5 minutes or so, and adding small amounts of water as it becomes necessary to prevent it from scorching.This may take about an hour (or more), depending on the quality and freshness of the oxtail. You can shorten the time by using a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. See the instructions in the notes below.
4. Make the sauce
- When the meat is very tender (test with a fork), let the water reduce and add the carrots, chickpeas, olives, onion, cubanelle pepper, thyme, tomatoes, tomato sauce, celery, garlic, and Scotch bonnet pepper to the pot. Cook, stirring, until onions become translucent. Add 1 ¼ cup of water, and simmer covered until the carrots are cooked through.
5. Serving
- Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the parsley, then remove from the heat.Serve hot. Oxtail has a lot of collagen, so it will start to congeal once cooled down.
Notes
- To use a pressure cooker, brown oxtail as usual, then add enough water to cover meat plus two extra cups before sealing.
- Once pressure builds and cooker whistles, reduce heat and cook 15 minutes; cool and check doneness, repeating if needed.
- It's better to have slightly more water than less in pressure cooking to avoid burning and ensure even cooking.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 918 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 918kcal | 46% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 99g | 198% |
| Fat | 47g | 72% |
| Saturated Fat | 17g | 85% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 22g | 110% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 333mg | 111% |
| Sodium | 1681mg | 70% |
| Potassium | 833mg | 18% |
| Fiber | 7g | 28% |
| Sugar | 11g | 22% |
| Vitamin A | 5219IU | 104% |
| Vitamin C | 64mg | 71% |
| Calcium | 134mg | 13% |
| Iron | 14mg | 78% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
