There’s something deeply satisfying about a pot that simmers for hours, filling the kitchen with rich, savory aromas and promising a meal that feels both rustic and luxurious. Oxtail ragù is exactly that kind of dish—a celebration of patience, tradition, and bold flavor.

Often associated with Italian home cooking, oxtail ragù transforms a humble cut of meat into something extraordinary. With time and care, the collagen-rich oxtail breaks down into tender strands that melt into a deeply flavored sauce, perfect for tossing with pasta or spooning over creamy polenta.

What will you need?

• oxtail
• salt
• extra virgin olive oil
• sweet onion
• leeks
• carrots
• celery
• garlic
• tomato paste
• red wine
• black pepper
• oregano
• fennel seeds
• chili flakes
• whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
• beef stock
• fresh thyme
• fresh rosemary
• fresh basil
• pasta, I like using Tagliatelle
• parmesan cheese, grated

How to make it

Salt all sides of the oxtail. Heat a dutch oven over medium-high and add in the olive oil. Add in the oxtail and sear on all sides until golden brown and a good amount of fond is left in the pot. You want the fond to be golden brown and not burnt. If it starts to burn, lower the heat and remove the oxtail. The fond is what gives the flavor. Focus on creating the fond more than getting the perfect sear on the oxtail. Remove the oxtail and set aside

Lower the heat to medium and add in the onion, carrot, celery, and leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the onions are soft and translucent. About 7-10 minutes. Add in the garlic, oregano, chili flakes, and fennel and cook for 1 minute then mix in the tomato paste and cook out for another minute. Pour in the wine and let reduce for 3 minutes. Pour the tomatoes into a bowl and crush with your hands then add them to the pot. Rince the tomato can with water and pour it into the pot and give it a good stir. Wrap the thyme, rosemary, and basil with butchers twine and add it to the pot with the beef stock.

Nestle in your oxtail. Cover the pot and place in the oven at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 hours or until the oxtail is fall off the bone tender. Remove the wrapped thyme, rosemary, and basil from the pot and discard. Remove the oxtail to a separate bowl and shred all the meat off the bones. Discard the bones. For a smoother and creamier sauce, use an emersion blender or blend the sauce i a blender and add back to the pot. Ad the shredded oxtail meat back in the sauce. Taste for salt and add more if needed.

Add the pasta to salted boiling water and cook for as long as the directions on the box say. Once cooked, reserve a half cup of the pasta water. Strain your pasta and add it to the sauce. Pour in the reserved pasta water and mix together. Tear in some fresh basil and grate in parmesan cheese.

Add your ragu to a serving plate and garnish with parmesan and fresh basil. Hope you enjoy!

Oxtail Ragu

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Zachary Rodriguez Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Intermediate

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Ingredients

• 3 lbs 3 oxtail

• 3 tsp 3 salt, divided

• 3 tbsp 3 extra virgin olive oil

• 1 1 sweet onion, diced

• 2 2 carrots, diced

• 1 1 leek, sliced

• 2 2 celery stalk, diced

• 5 5 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tsp 2 black pepper

• 2 tsp 2 oregano

• 2 tsp 2 fennel seeds

• 1 tsp 1 red chili flaks

• 3 tbsp 3 tomato paste

• 1 cup 1 red wine

• 32 oz 32 can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes

• 1/2 cup 1/2 water

• 1 cup 1 beef stock

• 2 2 sprigs thyme

• 2 2 sprigs rosemary

• 2 2 basil stems with leaves still attached

• 1 lb 1 tagliatelle pasta

• freshly grated parmesan cheese

• fresh basil, for garnish

Directions

• Salt all sides of the oxtail. Heat a dutch oven over medium-high and add in the olive oil. Add in the oxtail and sear on all sides until golden brown and a good amount of fond is left in the pot. You want the fond to be golden brown and not burnt. If it starts to burn, lower the heat and remove the oxtail. The fond is what gives the flavor. Focus on creating the fond more than getting the perfect sear on the oxtail. Remove the oxtail and set aside
• Lower the heat to medium and add in the onion, carrot, celery, and leeks. Season with 1 tsp salt and the pepper. Sauté until the onions are soft and translucent. About 7-10 minutes. Add in the garlic, oregano, chili flakes, and fennel and cook for 1 minute then mix in the tomato paste and cook out for another minute. Pour in the wine and let reduce for 3 minutes. Pour the tomatoes into a bowl and crush with your hands then add them to the pot. Rince the tomato can with water and pour it into the pot and give it a good stir. Wrap the thyme, rosemary, and basil with butchers twine and add it to the pot with the beef stock.
• Nestle in your oxtail. Cover the pot and place in the oven at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 hours or until the oxtail is fall off the bone tender. Remove the wrapped thyme, rosemary, and basil from the pot and discard. Remove the oxtail to a separate bowl and shred all the meat off the bones. Discard the bones. For a smoother and creamier sauce, use an emersion blender or blend the sauce i a blender and add back to the pot. Ad the shredded oxtail meat back in the sauce. Taste for salt and add more if needed.
• Add the pasta to salted boiling water and cook for as long as the directions on the box say. Once cooked, reserve a half cup of the pasta water. Strain your pasta and add it to the sauce. Pour in the reserved pasta water and mix together. Tear in some fresh basil and grate in parmesan cheese.
• Add your ragu to a serving plate and garnish with parmesan and fresh basil. Hope you enjoy!