Oxtail Stew with Red Wine and Root Vegetables

A hearty oxtail stew with a rich, savory, red-wine based broth and root vegetables is the perfect antidote to the winter doldrums.

• Preparation Time: 35 mins
• Cooking Time: 5 hr 20 mins
• Total Time: 5 hr 55 mins
• Calories: 271 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
• 4 medium carrots, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, or more to taste, peeled
• 2 medium turnips, diced
• 2 medium parsnips, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley, or to taste
• 1.5 pounds beef oxtails, cut into pieces
• 2.5 cups red wine, divided
• 0.25 teaspoon ground thyme, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Bring oxtails to room temperature and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear oxtails, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side, then remove from the skillet.

Step 4

Add carrots, celery, and onion to the pan. Saute until tender, 5 to 7 minutes, then remove from the skillet.

Step 5

Pour 1/2 cup red wine into the skillet and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Return oxtails and vegetables back to the skillet. Cover, reduce heat to low, and sweat the mixture until juices have been released, about 20 minutes.

Step 6

Combine remaining wine, beef broth, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme in a slow cooker. Add oxtail-vegetable mixture and cook on High until meat is fork-tender, 3 to 4 hours.

Step 7

Toss turnips and parsnips with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan.

Step 8

Roast in the oven until tender and lightly browned, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 9

Remove oxtails from the slow cooker. Pull meat away from the bones, shredding meat and discarding any bits of fat and gristle. Pour liquid from the slow cooker through a mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing against the vegetable solids to mash them and push them through.

Step 10

Return strained liquid to the slow cooker and cook on High until reduced by about half, 30 to 45 minutes. Add roasted vegetables, oxtail meat, and parsley. Cook on Low until flavors have blended, 30 minutes to 1 hour.