Rabo Encendido (Spicy Oxtail Stew) is "Tail on Fire", translated literally, this is a rich, spicy oxtail stew usually prepared for special occasions.
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Rabo Encendido (Spicy Oxtail Stew) is one of a few of our spicy dishes. It is a very rich, very flavorful stew that we serve on special occasions.
If you ever have a bunch of people showing up for dinner, and a lot of times in your hands, this is a dish that should be in your arsenal.
Rabo Encendido, though popular in the Dominican Republic, it is also a dish served in Cuba, and it makes an appearance in our list of Dominican dishes with strange names.
Each home has its own version of this dish, some are simpler, some are more complex, this is my prefered combination.
Buen provecho!
Rabo Encendido Recipe (Spicy Oxtail Stew)
Ingredients
- 4 lbs [1.8 kg] of ox-tail cut in the joints
- 1 teaspoon of oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 2 tablespoons of oil (soy, corn or peanut)
- 2 large carrot cut into 1-inch thick pieces
- 1 cup of chickpeas , boiled soft
- 1/4 cup of olives , pitted
- 2 large onions , chopped
- 2 large cubanela (cubanelle) peppers, chopped
- 4 sprigs of thyme (optional)
- 1 cup of tomato sauce
- 8 tomatoes , chopped
- 4 garlic cloves , crushed
- 2 celery stalks , chopped
- 1/2 Scotch bonnet pepper , crushed
- 2 sprigs of parsley
Instructions
- Season the oxtail with oregano, a pinch of pepper, lime juice, and a teaspoon of salt.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a deep bottom pan.
- Add the oxtail and brown.
- Add enough water to cover the meat and cover with a lid.
- Cook until the meat is very tender, adding water as it becomes necessary (see notes).
- When the meat is very tender add the carrots, chickpeas, olives, onions, cubanela pepper, thyme, tomatoes tomato sauce, celery, garlic, and Scotch bonnet pepper.
- Cook until the vegetables are cooked through.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot with a few slices of avocados and white rice.
Hi Aunt Clara,
I plan on making this for my Thanksgiving meal, but, the last time I made it in a pressure cooker, it burnt, and I ended up crying :'(
I have not attempted making this again (it’s been over a year), but I have gained the courage to try again, lol. At what temperature should the stove be when it’s in the pressure cooker? Do you turn it down once the pressure builds? I have one of the old fashioned jiggle top.
Thanks =D
Don’t be discouraged. It’s happened to all of us. The problem with pressure cooking is that it gives no clues, and by the time we notice the smell it’s way too late. I am planning on writing a small article on pressure cooking soon, in the meantime let me give you a couple of tips. When it comes to pressure cooking it’s better to have too much water than too little, I never start mine with less than a quart of water (1 lt). Do this: Cover, seal and start over high heat, once the whistling starts, lower heat to… Read more »
i like the dominican oxtail recipe
My husband loves oxtail stew, but we always do a simple Jamaican version of it. Tonight, it will be the Dominican style in my new pressure cooker (I won! I’ve never owned a pressure cooker, so this will be a first for me). THANKS Aunt Clara!
Enjoy your prize, Ana. And let us know how your stew comes out.
Hi,
I was wondering how long you leave it in the pressure cooker for? Thank you!
-Amanda
Answer in the recipe. Good luck!
I just made this for my husband and I. It was amazing. It took almost five hours. But so worth it. We are in the Dominican right now, and I haven't found anyone to teach me the cooking yet, so I am using these recipes for now. The spices here taste so much better than in Canada! The only change I made was to add a little flour and water at the end to give it a slight thickening, and I used consomme instead of the beef boullion. It is almost impossible to find beef bouillon in Punta Cana! I… Read more »
I also live in PuntaCana, so, hi neighbor!. I am glad it worked for you.