Thursday 27 October 2011

One Pan 'Oxtail Estafado' Cooked On The Log Burner!!

Well, there it is, fresh lovely Oxtail for under 3 quid just starting to brown at the start of a 4 hour cook on our log burner which when finished will become a fantastic 'Estafado' a rich Spanish beef stew, but instead of adding brandy I give mine a Portuguese twist and use Port. For 4 people you will need.
1 half kilo of Oxtail.
2 large white onions, sliced.
3 large cloves of garlic, crushed
Large sprig of thyme.
1 Big Glug of Port ( That's a technical term that is, honestly!)
1 large tin of chopped tomatoes
1 empty tomato tin of water with a gluten free beef stock cube in it!!

Brown the Oxtail in a little olive oil , add the onions and the garlic and cover. Cook until the onions and garlic have infused and softened. Chuck in the Port and cook for 2 mins to cook out some of the alcohol and then add the tomatoes, the water and stock and place the sprig of thyme in the centre of the pan, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Drink a bottle of wine with your friends and laugh, then check the Estafado and stir. Cover again and simmer for another hour, allowing you to crack open another bottle of wine, a good Cabernet Sauvignon goes well with it or a rich Rioja! Now the last hour is crucial as you don't want it to stick to the bottom of the pan as the sugars in the tomatoes and meat will now be starting to caramelise and thicken the stew as the liquid diminishes. When the meat just falls off the bones the Estafado is ready. Remove from the heat and crumble the meat off the bones and discard them. Serve the Estafado with some seasoned 'skin on' creamy seasoned mashed potatoes and some buttered winter greens!! Oh and some more wine. Drink, eat, be merry and laugh into the night!! enjoy

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