Oxtails in Red Chile Sauce (Cola de Buey en Chile Rojo)

How to make Oxtails in Red Chile Sauce (Cola de Buey en Chile Rojo)

Ingredients:

3 beefsteak tomatoes

3 guajillo chiles, dried pods

2 California chilies, dried pods

1 Arbol chile, dried pods

4 cloves garlic

1 tsp. Mexican oregano

½ tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. Kosher salt, separate uses

6-8 Oxtails

1 yellow onion

Instructions:

1 . Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and put the rinsed tomatoes into the pot. Boil the tomatoes for about 20 minutes, until cooked through.

Tip: Do not trim or cut the tomato before boiling, you want to keep all of the juices inside the tomato while it is cooking.

2. Toast the chili pods in a dry skillet over medium high heat for 15 seconds to a minute, but so not burn them.

Tip: The difference between toasted and burnt is only a moment, so stay focused while you are doing this. If a pod burns, discard it and try again.

3. Remove the stems, seeds and membranes.

4. Tear the chilies into pieces and put them in a standing blender with enough hot water to cover.

5. Remove the tomatoes from the pot and cook slightly. Remove the stem core and chop the tomatoes up a bit.

Tip: The tomatoes will be hot, so watch your fingers. You are not looking for any kind of diced tomato, you just want to break it up enough to make it easy to blend.

6. Add the garlic, whole, the oregano, pepper, and the tomatoes, with the skins and any juices, to the blender.

Tip: You are not yet ready to blend the sauce, patience.

7. Use half of the salt to season the oxtails.

8. Put the corn oil into a medium Dutch oven and brown the oxtails on all sides. Remove the oxtails to a plate.

9. Pour off any excess grease and add the onions and the rest of the salt to the pot. Brown the onions very well, 10-15 minutes.

Tip: Leave about two tablespoons of grease in the pot. I used the extra grease, instead of the corn oil, to fry the vegetables for my chili with beans.

10. Remove the onions to the blender and process the mix until it is very smooth.

11. Return the oxtails to the pot and pour the chile sauce over them.

12. Bring the pot to a boil, cover, and place the pot in a 325° F oven for 2-3 hours.

Tip: Turn the oxtails over every hour and check to make sure that the sauce is not sticking to the bottom of the pot and scorching, add more broth if necessary

13. Serve in the Dutch oven, removing the lid at the last moment.