Rabo de Toro
A slow-braised oxtail stew from Córdoba with real ties to the city's bullfighting culture: historians trace it to the area around the Plaza de la Corredera, where bulls were butchered after fights and their tails, otherwise low-value, were claimed and stewed by local cooks. Once a practical, working-class dish, it later moved onto Córdoba's finest restaurant menus, though today's oxtail comes from regular cattle rather than the bullring.
Meat
⚠ Contains: Gluten. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg oxtail, cut into segments
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 500ml full-bodied red wine (ideally Montilla-Moriles)
- 400g crushed tomato
- 2 bay leaves
- 2-3 whole cloves
- Black peppercorns
- Olive oil, salt
- Flour, for dusting (optional)
Steps
- Season the oxtail, dust lightly in flour if using, and brown well in olive oil in batches; set aside.
- In the same pot, sauté the onion, carrot, pepper, and garlic until soft.
- Return the oxtail to the pot, add the wine, and reduce by half.
- Add the crushed tomato, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, and enough water to just cover.
- Cover and braise on low heat for 2.5–3 hours until the meat is falling off the bone.
- Remove the oxtail, blend or sieve the sauce until smooth, then return the meat to the sauce.
- Rest overnight if possible, then reheat gently to serve.