Rabo Estofado (Braised Oxtails) my favorite Cuban Dish

 The last post I have from my trip to Miami happens to be of my favorite Cuban dish, Rabo Encendido or (braised oxtails). My grandmother also spoiled me by making this the day before I left for home. I don't know if I was hungry, or I had been craving this for a year, or maybe I just enjoyed it to the fullest knowing that it would probably be another year before I ate grandma's cooking, but seriously, that was the best oxtail dish I had ever eaten.

Ingredients:
4 lbs. oxtails
1 onion
6 cups wine (my grandmother used half red wine and half white- she prefers white, and I prefer red for this dish so she decided that half and half would be best, but really any good tasting wine that's not sweet will work well)
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup green, pimento stuffed olives
1/3 cup tomato sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt to taste

The first thing to do is to put the oxtails into a pressure cooker with the wine and bay leaf. Cook the oxtails until they're really tender. About 45 minutes. Oxtails tend to be fatty, so one way to remedy this problem is by letting the fat rise to the top after cooking and skimming it off. To do this, once the oxtails are cooked, transfer to a container and put in the refrigerator until the mixture cools and skim the fat that rises to the top. Next take a braising pot and add the olive oil. Finely chop the onion and garlic and saute until the onions are tender. Transfer the oxtails into the braising pot and add the tomato sauce, ketchup, olives and season with salt and garlic powder. Allow for the flavors to combine well by simmering for about half an hour. Remove the bay leaf and serve with steamed white rice.

Oh yeah... and my grandmother suggests having lots of napkins nearby and a little plate for the bones. She says the best part is makin sure you suck the bones clean.