German🥩 Meat

Braised Oxtail in Red Wine Sauce with Dark Chocolate

Name: Braised Oxtail in Red Wine Sauce with Dark Chocolate
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 1 oxtail; 4 onion; 3 carrot; 100 g celery; 2 tbsp tomato paste; ~3 tbsp clarified butter (ghee) or lard; 100 g dark chocolate; 1 red wine; 1 cup vegetable broth or beef stock; ~1½ tsp salt; ~1 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp Gulasch-Traum spice blend; ~1½ tbsp cornstarch

⏱ 210 min

A classic braised dish from grandmother's recipe collection. Oxtail pieces are carefully seared until golden brown, combined with root vegetables, and braised slowly in a rich red wine sauce refined with dark chocolate. The meat becomes so tender it falls from the bone, creating a deeply flavored and complex sauce.

Adapted from a video by CALLEkocht - Omas Rezepte

Das Rezept, das Oma nie verraten würde – Ochsenschwanz perfekt gemacht

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

oxtailcut into segments1
onion4
carrot3
celery100 g
tomato paste2 tbsp
clarified butter (ghee) or lardfor searing meat and vegetables~3 tbspest.
dark chocolatehigh cocoa content100 g
red winefull-bodied, e.g. Primitivo1
vegetable broth or beef stockor water

Steps

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1
Season the oxtail segments generously and evenly with salt and black pepper.
2
Heat clarified butter in a Dutch oven or braising pot and sear the oxtail pieces on all sides over high heat until deeply browned.
3
While the oxtail is browning, prepare the onions, carrots, and celery by cutting them into uniformly sized dice.
4
Once the oxtail is evenly browned on all sides, pour off the excess fat, leaving just enough to sauté the vegetables.
5
In the same pot, sear the diced vegetables until nicely browned, stirring occasionally for even coloring.
6
Add tomato paste, then deglaze the pot with red wine three times, scraping the bottom between each addition to extract all the caramelized flavors and fully incorporate the paste.
7
Add the dark chocolate and gently stir until melted into the sauce, which adds depth and complexity to the flavors.
8
Return the oxtail to the pot, sprinkle with Gulasch-Traum spice blend (or traditional spices), and pour in enough broth or water to cover the ingredients.
9
Cover the pot and braise in a preheated 180°C (356°F) oven for 2.5 to 3 hours until the oxtail meat becomes extremely tender and nearly falls from the bone.
10
After braising, carefully transfer the oxtail to a preheated serving dish. Mix cornstarch with red wine to create a smooth slurry and stir into the sauce to thicken it.
11
Skim off excess fat from the surface of the sauce using a shallow spoon, or chill the sauce overnight and remove the solidified fat layer.
12
Pour the rich sauce over the oxtail and serve with the braised root vegetables alongside boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, or other starchy sides of your choice.

Braised Oxtail in Red Wine Sauce with Dark Chocolate

Ingredients

Steps

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