Oxtail is the butcher’s best-kept secret. It looks bony and scrappy, sits in the case at a price that makes you look twice, and then does something almost nothing else can do: it turns into the most luxurious braise in your kitchen. The secret is collagen — the same reason pork hocks and beef shanks shine — and all it asks for is time. This version, a Spanish-style red wine braise, is the one I keep going back to: the oxtail is seared hard, then simmered for three hours with chorizo, smoked paprika, tomato and a whole cup of red wine, until the meat falls off the bone and the sauce turns glossy and dark.
What I love about this recipe is that it respects the home cook. The original — from a Chinese home cook with a French oven and an obvious love of Spanish ingredients — is written with the same no-nonsense logic as a good braise anywhere in the world: sear in batches, sweat the aromatics, deglaze with wine, cover and forget. There is no complicated technique, only a sequence of simple steps and a three-hour wait. The finish is a classic gremolata — parsley, garlic and lemon zest soaked in olive oil — spooned over the top just before serving, which cuts through the richness exactly the way it should.
What Is Hong Jiu Hui Niu Wei (红酒烩牛尾)?
Hong jiu hui niu wei (红酒烩牛尾) translates simply as “red wine braised oxtail” — a slow-cooked dish of oxtail simmered in wine, tomato and aromatics until spoon-tender. The style here is Spanish-inflected: chorizo brings its paprika-and-garlic richness, sweet smoked paprika deepens the color, and a classic parsley-lemon gremolata finishes the plate. Oxtail itself is the tail of the beef animal — gelatinous, fatty and full of flavor, and virtually impossible to dry out because the connective tissue melts into the sauce. At home it is a weekend braise; in Spain and France it appears in stews and ragus where the long cooking is the whole point.
If this red wine braise puts you in the mood for more slow-cooked beef, my red wine braised beef is the chunk-of-chuck version of the same idea — the oxtail here takes it deeper with bone and collagen.
1Red Wine Braised Beef (Pressure Cooker)A simplified, home-style take on Beef Bourguignon using a pressure cooker. Tender beef brisket, carrots, and mushrooms are braised in a rich red wine sauce. Perfect for weeknight dinners.Check out this recipe
Why This Recipe Works
- Oxtail is built for braising: its dense connective tissue melts into gelatin over low, slow heat, producing a sauce that coats like silk and meat that falls off the bone.
- Batching the sear builds the base: browning the oxtail in small batches creates the deep, crusty fond that the wine and tomato turn into the braising liquid.
- Chorizo doubles as seasoning: the rendered sausage fat and its paprika-garlic flavor season the entire dish without extra effort.
- The gremolata is the counterweight: parsley, garlic and lemon zest soaked in olive oil brightens the rich braise — the classic Spanish finishing move.
- One pot, then the oven: after the stovetop searing, the covered pot goes into the oven for 3 to 3.5 hours with only two or three flips — steady, even heat with no stirring vigil.
Equipment Needed
- A large cast-iron Dutch oven or heavy pot (about 30 cm / 12 in) that is stovetop- and oven-safe
- A tongs and a slotted spoon
- A chef’s knife and cutting board
- A baking tray (for the cherry tomatoes)
- An instant-read thermometer (recommended for meat)
Ingredients
- 2.5 kg (about 5.5 lb) oxtail, cut into pieces
- 120 g (4 oz) Spanish chorizo, sliced or cubed
- 1 can (400 g / 14 oz) canned whole tomatoes, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 medium carrots, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1–2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika (smoked if you have it)
- 240 ml (1 cup) dry red wine
- 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2.5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 160 g (5.5 oz) tea tree mushrooms (or button mushrooms)
- 150 g (5 oz) cherry tomatoes, on the vine
Ingredient Notes
Oxtail is sold sliced into rounds at butcher counters and many supermarkets; look for pieces with a good meat-to-bone ratio. Spanish chorizo is the cured, paprika-red sausage — not Mexican chorizo, which is raw and must be cooked differently; any cured chorizo works. Smoked sweet paprika (pimentón) gives the dish its warm Spanish color and aroma; plain sweet paprika is fine. Tea tree mushrooms (茶树菇) are the slender Chinese mushrooms the original uses; brown button or cremini mushrooms substitute cleanly. Dry red wine — a Spanish Rioja or any dry red you would drink works; the alcohol cooks off in the first five minutes, leaving depth, not heat.
Prep & Mise en Place
Everything happens in stages, so prep in the same order as the recipe. First, pat the oxtail dry and season it generously with salt and pepper — drying the surface is what lets it sear brown instead of steam. While the first batch sears, cube the chorizo and chop the canned tomatoes. Once the meat is done, chop the onion, carrots and four of the five garlic cloves. The gremolata — the last garlic clove, parsley, lemon zest and olive oil — is best mixed at the start so it infuses for a few hours while the oxtail braises; the original calls for soaking it 2 to 3 hours.
Cooking Process
Step 1 — Season the Oxtail
Pat the oxtail pieces thoroughly dry with paper towels. Season evenly on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Step 2 — Sear in Batches
Heat your cast-iron pot over high heat on the stovetop. Add 1.5 tbsp of the olive oil, then sear the oxtail in batches — 4 to 5 pieces at a time — until deeply browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Set the browned pieces aside.
Searing in small batches is not fussiness — it is heat management. Cramming the pot drops the oil temperature, and the meat steams instead of browning. The brown crust (the Maillard reaction) is what the wine later deglazes into the sauce’s deep flavor base.
Step 3 — Chop the Chorizo and Tomatoes
While the oxtail sears, cube the chorizo into roughly 1 cm (1/2 in) pieces. Chop the canned tomatoes as finely as you can — a blender or food processor makes it effortless, but a knife and patience work perfectly.
Step 4 — Chop the Vegetables
Chop the onion and carrots. Mince 4 of the 5 garlic cloves, and set the remaining clove aside for the gremolata.
Step 5 — Preheat the Oven
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Step 6 — Reserve the Pan Oil
After all the oxtail is seared, the pot will hold a good amount of rendered fat. Keep about 1 tbsp (15 ml) in the pot and pour off the rest (or save it — it is liquid gold for roasting potatoes).
Step 7 — Sweat the Aromatics
Add the onion, chorizo, carrots, the minced garlic and the bay leaves to the pot. Turn the heat to medium and stir constantly until the onion turns translucent, about 6 to 7 minutes. The chorizo will release its red oil and perfume the whole kitchen.
Step 8 — Paprika, Then Wine
Stir in the paprika and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Pour in the red wine and cook for about 5 minutes, until the alcohol has cooked off and the wine has reduced slightly — stir to keep the bottom from sticking.
Cooking the wine for five minutes is the alcohol-evaporation step: the harsh alcohol boils away while the wine’s fruit, tannin and acidity remain — the tannins help tenderize the meat and the acidity brightens the tomato. Stirring matters because the sugars in the wine and paprika can scorch on the hot bottom.
Step 9 — Return the Meat and Tomatoes
Return the oxtail to the pot along with the chopped tomatoes and their juices. The liquid should come about halfway up the oxtail; if it does not, add hot water to bring it up.
Step 10 — Braise in the Oven
Bring everything back to a boil, then cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Braise for 3 to 3.5 hours at 180°C (350°F), turning the pieces 2 to 3 times during the cook. If your pot is not oven-safe, transfer everything to a deep ovenproof dish before covering.
Step 11 — Add Mushrooms and Tomatoes Late
About 30 minutes before the braise is done, add the tea tree mushrooms to the pot. On a baking tray, arrange the cherry tomatoes and place the tray on the lower oven rack for the remaining 30 minutes — they will soften and blister slightly.
Step 12 — Make the Gremolata
Mince the remaining garlic clove and mix it with 2 tbsp of chopped parsley and 1 tbsp of lemon zest. Stir in 1 tbsp of olive oil and let it infuse for 2 to 3 hours (or at least while the oxtail braises).
Step 13 — Finish and Serve
When the oxtail is fork-tender, remove the pot from the oven. Spoon the parsley-garlic oil over the oxtail, scatter the roasted cherry tomatoes around, and serve with steamed rice to soak up the sauce.
The 3+ hour oven braise is collagen conversion at work: oxtail’s connective tissue melts into gelatin between about 160°F (71°C) and 180°F (82°C) over time, which is exactly what makes the meat “fork-tender” and gives the sauce body. This is the same chemistry that makes beef shank, oxtail and short ribs the stars of slow cooking.
Common Mistakes When Making Hong Jiu Hui Niu Wei
1. The oxtail steams instead of browning. Cause: overcrowding the pan or not drying the meat. Fix: pat the oxtail dry first and sear only 4–5 pieces at a time over high heat.
2. The sauce tastes raw and boozy. Cause: not cooking the wine long enough. Fix: give the wine its full 5 minutes before adding the tomatoes, until the sharp alcohol smell is gone.
3. The meat is tough after 3 hours. Cause: the oven was too low, or the pot was not covered tightly. Fix: check that the oven is at 180°C (350°F) and the lid fits — and if it is still tough, it simply needs more time, not more heat.
4. The sauce is greasy or thin. Cause: skimping on the searing or adding too much water. Fix: keep the fond from browning, and only add the minimum hot water to reach halfway up the meat — the sauce should reduce and thicken on its own.
5. The gremolata is forgotten or flat. Cause: skipping the infusion or leaving out the lemon. Fix: mix it at the start and let it sit; the lemon zest is the bright note that makes the whole dish work.
Variations
This braise is a template you can dress in any regional outfit. Swap the chorizo for bacon or pancetta for a French feel, add a sprig of rosemary and thyme with the bay leaves, and you have a Provencal oxtail — the same move as my Provence braised beef short ribs. For a Chinese red-braise take, replace the wine with Shaoxing and add star anise, as in my braised beef brisket with radish. You can also skip the gremolata and finish with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime for a brighter, faster topping, or thicken the sauce at the end with a spoonful of tomato paste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I buy oxtail? Butcher counters, most supermarkets and Asian grocers stock it, usually pre-cut into rounds. Frozen oxtail works well — thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before searing.
Can I use a slow cooker instead of the oven? Yes — after deglazing on the stovetop, transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. The result is similar, though the oven version reduces the sauce a little more.
Do I have to use wine? The wine is what makes this dish what it is, but beef stock with 1–2 tbsp of balsamic or red wine vinegar stands in for a non-alcoholic version.
Can I make it ahead? Yes — braised oxtail is better the next day. Cool the whole pot, refrigerate, skim the fat, and reheat gently; the sauce thickens and the flavor deepens overnight.
How do I know when it is done? A fork should slide into the meat with almost no resistance, and the meat should be pulling away from the bone. Trust the fork over the clock.
How to Serve
Serve the oxtail over steamed rice or with crusty bread to soak up the sauce. For a full table, pair it with a second slow-braised beef dish — my hearty tomato beef stew and tomato and potato beef stew are the weeknight-speed cousins — or go noodle-bowl style with a bowl of braised beef noodle soup on a cold day. If you want the same slow-cooked comfort in a leaner cut, my clear stewed beef shank and braised beef brisket with potatoes round out a beef-braise repertoire, and the Chinese tomato beef stew shows the same dish wearing a totally different, soy-and-star-anise coat.
Storage & Reheat
Braised oxtail keeps refrigerated in its sauce for up to 4 days and freezes well for up to 3 months — freeze with sauce, thaw overnight, and reheat gently on the stove or in a 150°C (300°F) oven until piping hot. Skim the congealed fat layer before reheating if you prefer a leaner finish. Reheat to an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C). The USDA recommends cooking beef to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) with a rest — this braise cooks far beyond that, and the long simmer is exactly what makes the oxtail tender.
Allergen Notice
This recipe contains no major allergens as written; it is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and nut-free. Chorizo is usually gluten-free but check the label — some brands use wheat as a binder. If you are allergic to nightshades, note that paprika, tomatoes and peppers are all nightshades.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included. Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
About the Author & Recipe Development
I’m Lin, a chef who spent a decade in Chinese restaurant kitchens before writing recipes for home cooks. Oxtail was a Cantonese braise in my kitchen — soy, star anise and long hours — so when I first tried this Spanish version with chorizo and red wine, the structure felt instantly familiar: sear, sweat, deglaze, and let time do the work. I tested it following the original home cook’s notes to the letter, including the two-hour gremolata soak, and the parsley-garlic oil was the quiet revelation — one spoonful over the rich, dark meat and the whole bowl tasted brighter. The cherry tomatoes on the lower rack, blistered in the last half hour, are the kind of detail that tells you the author cooks the dish, not just writes it.
Authoritative References
For safe beef handling and temperatures, I follow the USDA safe minimum internal temperature chart, which recommends cooking beef to 145°F (63°C) with a rest — this braise far exceeds it. The collagen-to-gelatin conversion behind fork-tender oxtail is explained in this overview of collagen in meat science from ScienceDirect.
Slow-Braised Oxtail in Red Wine with Chorizo (Spanish Style)
Equipment
- Cast-Iron Dutch Oven
- Baking Tray
- Instant Read Thermometer
Ingredients
For the Braise
- 2.5 kg oxtail cut into pieces, about 5.5 lb
- 120 g Spanish chorizo cured, sliced or cubed
- 1 can canned whole tomatoes 400 g / 14 oz, chopped
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 medium carrots chopped
- 5 cloves garlic 4 minced for the braise, 1 for the gremolata
- 1 to 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika smoked preferred
- 240 ml dry red wine
- 2.5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1.5 tbsp for searing, 1 tbsp for gremolata
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 160 g tea tree mushrooms or button/cremini
- 150 g cherry tomatoes on the vine
For the Gremolata
- 1 handful fresh parsley chopped, about 2 tbsp for the gremolata
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Pat the oxtail dry and season evenly with salt and pepper.
- Heat the cast-iron pot over high heat with 1.5 tbsp olive oil. Sear the oxtail in batches of 4-5 pieces, about 5 minutes per batch, until deeply browned. Set aside.
- Cube the chorizo into about 1 cm pieces. Chop the canned tomatoes finely (a blender helps).
- Chop the onion and carrots. Mince 4 of the 5 garlic cloves; set 1 aside for the gremolata.
- Preheat the oven to 180C (350F).
- After searing, keep about 1 tbsp (15 ml) of the fat in the pot and pour off the rest.
- Add the onion, chorizo, carrots, minced garlic and bay leaves. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the onion is translucent, 6-7 minutes.
- Stir in the paprika and cook 1 minute. Add the wine and cook about 5 minutes until the alcohol has cooked off, stirring to prevent sticking.
- Return the oxtail with the chopped tomatoes and their juices. The liquid should reach halfway up the meat; add hot water if not.
- Bring to a boil, cover, and braise in the 180C (350F) oven for 3 to 3.5 hours, turning 2-3 times.
- 30 minutes before done, add the tea tree mushrooms to the pot. Put the cherry tomatoes on a baking tray on the lower rack for the remaining 30 minutes.
- Mince the remaining garlic clove and mix with the chopped parsley and lemon zest. Stir in 1 tbsp olive oil and let infuse 2-3 hours.
- When the oxtail is fork-tender, spoon the gremolata over it, scatter the roasted tomatoes, and serve with steamed rice.
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