Oxtail with prunes

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 kg oxtail, even better bulltail, chopped into pieces
• 1 onion(s)
• 2 cups bay leaves
• 5 cloves
• 50 ml olive oil
• 100 g smoked bacon, diced
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 250 ml wine, white or red
• 1 pinch of cinnamon
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• 100 g prunes
• 50 g pine nuts or roughly chopped almonds
• Thyme
• oregano
• Parsley
• Salt
• pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 6 hours

Rabo de Toro with Ciruelas Pasas

Soak the prunes in warm water for at least two hours. Bring the oxtail pieces to a boil in cold salted water with the quartered onion, bay leaves, and cloves, then simmer on low heat for one hour. Then remove the oxtail pieces, dry them, dust them with flour, and sear them vigorously on all sides in olive oil. Remove the oxtail from the pot and sear the diced onion, bacon, garlic, and carrot cubes in the frying fat. Deglaze with the wine. Add the oxtail, herbs, and spices, and pour in enough water or cooking liquid to just cover the meat. Cover and simmer for about two hours, until the oxtail is tender. Now remove the meat from the bones and return it to the sauce. If you like, you can also serve the oxtail pieces whole. However, I don’t mind the remaining fat, and I don’t like having it boned on the plate. Now add the drained prunes and the browned pine nuts or almonds and let them simmer for ten minutes over low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with dumplings or polenta.