Name: Oxtail Ragu - Gluten Free
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 h
Total time: 5 h 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 1/2 pounds (1 1/2 kg) oxtail cut into 2 inch (5 cm) pieces; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 2 medium onion diced; 1 large carrot diced; 2 medium sticks celery diced; 6 fat cloves garlic finely chopped; 2 x 14 ounce (400 g) tins chopped tomatoes; small bunch thyme and 2 sprigs rosemary tied together; 1 teaspoon chilli flakes; 1 teaspoon of salt; 1/4 cup red wine; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 heaped tablespoon tomato paste; 1 oxo beef stock cube mixed with 1 cup water; parmesan cheese to serve; pappadelle pasta - optional; 1 cup roughly chopped flat leafed parsley; 2 tablespoons lemon zest

Jump to Recipe

We’re looking forward to cooking dishes we haven’t tasted for months as the weather turns to Winter, and this unctuous, meltingly tender, fall off the bone oxtail ragu is perfect for snuggling up at home with dinner simmering away in the background.

We love having our weather forecasts in advance for planning what delicious things we want to cook and I can see that we’re in for a cold front this weekend. Bliss!

I don’t know about you but we just love the thought of a cold rainy day and cooking up something delicious for dinner.

Our weather up on the range gets cold enough that the fire goes 24/7 for days during winter and the cloud in the valley appears as if we have a huge lake in our backyard. Bliss!

View from deck looking to the mountains with mist filled valley — Lake view from our deck during winter

Oxtail

We’d been into town to visit our friendly butcher who knows our penchant for the next meal (love thy butcher) and he mentions he just had some oxtail arrive in the shop. Sold!

Oxtail ragu ingredients on wooden chopping board

This recipe will take about 20 minutes of your time to prep and then let it cook long and luxuriantly for around 5 hours on a slow simmer, giving it a gentle stir every hour or so then kick back into relax mode and let the stove top do all the work.

oxtail ragu adding carrot, garlic and celery to onions and roasted oxtail in baking dish — add carrot, garlic and celery to the oxtail

oxtail ragu roasted oxtail with onions, carrots and celery in baking dish — add carrot, garlic and celery to the oxtail

Oxtail is an economical cut and very easy to cook with, it simply requires time. The meat after long, slow cooking will literally fall off the bone leaving you with unctuous, melt in the mouth flavoursome meat for this ragu.

Oxtail is oily

Oxtail releases a lot of oil during the slow simmer. From time to time simply skim the oil from the top of the ragu.

oxtail ragu silaver ladle skimming oil from top of oxtail and vegetables — skimming the oil from the ragu

Time develops more flavour

You almost have to know that anything braised long and slow till meltingly tender always tastes better after a day or so …..but this oxtail ragu delivers on the first day and only gets better on the 2nd or 3rd day.

Gremolata

We love to finish this Ragu with a gremolata of fresh Italian parsley and lemon zest. Stirred through at the last moment before serving the parsley and zest just add ZING to the dish and completely complements the rich background of beef, wine and tomatoes

lemons and parsley from the garden on chopping board with knife for the gremolata

Subscribe to our newsletter and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Check out some other recipe winners for when the temperature drops and you need some comfort food

Cauliflower pasta bake with bacon and mushrooms

Pea and Ham Hock Soup

Smoky Chilli Con Carne

Smoked cod chowder

Have you ever tried oxtail? Are you squeamish at the thought of oxtail? Leave a comment below and let us know! ’cause I think we’re ‘gonna change your mind…..for the better.

Serves 4