Red wine braised oxtail
Oxtail browned and slowly braised with red wine, tomatoes and carrots for three hours until falling off the bone, the sauce rich and glossy — warming, blood-moving and wonderful over rice.
- 3 hr 45 min
- Serves 4
- Braise
- Medium
Why it suits you: Blood-stasis types have sluggish circulation, a dull complexion and cold hands and feet, and bruise easily or suffer period pain; as Hanlu turns cooler the blood slows further. Red wine warms and frees the vessels, tomato and onion help move blood, and oxtail builds qi, blood and sinew. Slowly braised, it warms and invigorates — make a big pot at the weekend, as it's even better reheated.
Method
Prep 25 min · Cook 200 min- 1Put the oxtail in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and blanch for 10 minutes, then rinse and pat dry. Cut the tomatoes, carrots, onion and potatoes into large chunks.
- 2Heat the oil and brown the oxtail on every side over a medium heat, then lift out. Fry the onion and garlic in the same pan until fragrant and stir in the tomato purée for 1 minute.
- 3Return the oxtail, pour in the wine and boil for 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes, carrots, bay leaves and water. Bring to the boil, cover and braise over a low heat for 2½ hours.
- 4Add the potatoes and braise for 30 minutes more until the meat falls off the bone, then uncover and reduce until thick; season with salt.
Cautions
- Long braising cooks off most of the alcohol, but avoid it if you're pregnant, have liver disease or can't drink on medication; oxtail is fatty, so chill the sauce and lift off the fat.
Chef's tips
- There's no need for expensive wine — an inexpensive dry red is fine. It tastes even better the next day: lift off the set fat before reheating.
The TCM view
Grape wine is sweet, pungent and warm, freeing the blood vessels and dispersing cold — the Bencao Gangmu says it 'warms the lower back and kidneys, preserves the complexion and helps one bear the cold'. Oxtail is sweet and warm, building qi and blood and strengthening the sinews; tomato generates fluids and cools the blood; onion and garlic are pungent and warm, moving qi and blood; carrot aids digestion.
