Fork tender meat and a velvety sauce that's the perfect match for some rice and maduros.
Slow-cooking oxtail in a low oven breaks down the otherwise tough cut and transforms it into tender bites of meat where the fat melts.Rabo encendido is a Cuban dish of oxtails cooked gently in a mixture of wine, tomato paste, and vegetables until the tough meat becomes fork tender and all the connective tissue and fat has melted, creating a rich sauce.
There are two components that separate a good rabo encendido from a great one: the tenderness of the oxtail and the velvety texture of the sauce. The just-okay versions out there may have one of these qualities, but not the other. This recipe, adapted from my aunt Pilar Hernandez's recipe, has it all.Pilar is one of the best cooks in my family, and this is what she makes when she wants to wow her guests.
While it's chilly out right now and cold weather is a perfect time to serve braised meats, I think you can eat rabo encendido any time at all. The only catch is you have to plan ahead to carve out the three to four hours it requires from your schedule. But don’t let the long cook time intimidate you; for most of it, the oxtails are gently braising and they don't need your attention.
on their exposed surfaces. Even if it wasn't this easy, though, I'd say making, and eating, rabo encendido is worth clearing your schedule for.