RECIPE - Mineiro-style Oxtail Stew (Rabada)

This very traditional and homestyle reipe for a stick-to-your-ribs oxtail stew comes from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, where winter nights are cold and often damp, and where rabada is much loved.

As with all traditional recipes, everyone has their favorite was of making rabada, and heated discussions occur in the kitchen (or today, even online) as to whether cachaça is an obligatory or an optional addition, and whether or not root vegetables should be added to the stew. This recipe, though, is a fairly standard one and shouldn't displease anyone. Feel free to add to subtract ingredients, or to adjust quantities depending on your mood, the amount of time available, or simply on your whim.

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RECIPE - Mineiro-style Oxtail Stew (Rabada)
Serves 8

4 lbs (2 kg) oxtail, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick slices
1 cup (250 ml) fresh-squeezed lime juice (can substitute lemon juice)
1 cup (250 ml) cachaça
1/2 cup (125 ml) neutral vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 large manioc root (macaxeira), peeled and cut into chunks (can substitute potatoes)
salt to taste
1 Tbsp. annatto powder (can substitute sweet red paprika)
2 bay leaves
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Wash the oxtail well in warm water. Place in a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, cover with cold water, then add the lime juice and cachaça. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat and cook at a slow boil for 15 minutes. Remove the oxtail from the cooking liquid, rinse it well in hot water and reserve.

In another large saucepan, heat the oil until hot but not smoking. Add the garlic and onion, turn down heat and saute for a minute or two. Increase the heat, then add the reserved oxtail. Stirring constantly, cook until the oxtail is nicely browned on all sides. Sprinkle the oxtail with annatto powder, add the bay leaves to the pot, then add water slowly - add just enough to half-cover the meat. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and cook for about 1 and 1/2 hours at lowest heat, adding water as needed to avoid the dish drying out. Add the vegetables, then continue to cook for about 30 minutes.

When the oxtail is very tender (almost falling off the bone) and the vegetables are cooked remove the pot from the heat. Let rest a minute or two, then correct the seasoning with salt. Serve immediately accompanied by white rice and angu, or other side dishes of your preference. Red wine is the drink of choice in Minas Gerais when rabada is served.


Recipe translated and adapted from Cozinha Regional Brasileira by Abril Editora.

BEEF CUTS - Rabo (Oxtail)

There's an old saying about eating pigs - "You can eat everything but the squeal." Although Brazilians do eat pork, they are much more beef lovers when it comes to favorite cuts of meat. So perhaps that old saw should be adapted to Brazilians something like this - "Brazilians eat everything on the cow except the moo." Certainly they eat the whole animal, be it cow or steer, from head to tail - literally. One of the favorite cuts of many Brazilians is the tail of the animal, which they call rabo and which is generally known in English as oxtail.

This cut of meat is full of connective tissue and fat, and as such must be braised for a long time over low heat to release its qualities - and it is a quality cut, if handled right. There's no such thing as an oxtail steak, for obvious reasons. It would be fatty and very, very chewy indeed.

The region of Brazil that's most intimately associated with rabo is the mountainous interior state of Minas Gerais. This region is Brazil's dairyland, famous for milk and cheese, and so there's a ready supply of cattle for butchering. Also, because of it's mid-southerly location and its high altitude in Minas Gerais the winter months of June/July/August can be cold indeed, especially at night when the temperature can approach 32F (0C). Perfect weather for enjoying a hearty and nourishing stew of slow-cooked meat and root vegetables - Brazilian comfort food. Which is exactly what the most well-known dish made is rabo is - an oxtail stew called rabada, rich and redolent. And very filling!

Rabada is eaten all over the country, and in Brazil there seems to be none of the cultural resistance to this delicious cut that exists in some other countries. It's in Minas Gerais, however, where it's most highly appreciated. Rabada is a staple menu item in Mineiro restaurants around the country (Mineiro means "in the style of Minas Gerais" or "from Minas Gerais"). But like so many traditional dishes, rabada tastes best in its home territory, perhaps on a cold night in one of the historic mining towns of Minas Gerais, like Ouro Preto, or Tiradentes, or Diamantina. On a hot tropical night in the Amazon or along the northeastern coast, it's just as delicious, but it's just not quite so much at home.

In the next post here on Flavors of Brazil there will be a recipe for rabanada. Oxtail is generally available in good butcher shops in North America and Europe, even though it might not be featured on supermarket shelves. Ask your butcher for it on a cold rainy or snowy day, early in the morning. Let it cook all afternoon, and in the evening you'll be warmed down to the very cockles of your heart. I promise. Give oxtail a try - you won't regret it.