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Red Wine Braised Oxtail

Coda di Bue Brasata al Vino Rosso

Oxtail browned properly, braised in red wine, and rested overnight.

A bulk braise for ten. The browning is the flavour foundation and cannot be rushed, and the overnight rest is where the gelatin sets, the flavour deepens and the meat relaxes.

Written for 10 portions · 250 to 280 g cooked

Cook this

The liquid should come three quarters of the way up the meat, not drown it. And rest it overnight: that step is not optional.

Chef Paul Dukai

Ingredients

Serves 10

The oxtail

  • Oxtail3 kg
  • Salt40 g
  • Black pepper10 g
  • Flour100 g

The braising base

  • Mirepoix, onion, carrot, celery1.5 kg
  • Garlic50 g
  • Tomato paste200 g
  • Red wine1.5 L
  • Stock, ideally house made3 L
  • Bay leaves5 each
  • Thyme10 g
  • Olive oil, approximately150 ml

Polenta, for 10

  • Polenta400 g
  • Stock2 L
  • Butter200 g
  • Parmesan200 g

Gremolata, for 10

  • Parsley100 g
  • Garlic, cloves2 to 3
  • Lemon zest

Method

The braise

  1. Season and flour the oxtail, and brown it in batches. Do not rush this: deep colour is the flavour foundation.

  2. Add the mirepoix and caramelise it slightly, then the garlic, then the tomato paste, cooked until it turns brick red.

  3. Deglaze with the wine and reduce it by at least half.

  4. Add the stock and the herbs. The liquid should come three quarters of the way up the meat, not drown it.

  5. Braise at 160°C for 3.5 to 4 hours.

  6. Cool in the liquid and rest overnight. This is where the gelatin sets, the flavour deepens and the meat relaxes.

The next day

  1. Remove the meat and portion it at about 250 to 280 g cooked weight per serving.

  2. Strain the braising liquid and reduce it until it is glossy, sticky and coats the back of a spoon.

  3. Mount it with butter before service.

The polenta

  1. Bring the stock to a simmer.

  2. Rain the polenta in slowly while whisking, so that it does not lump.

  3. Cook on a low heat, stirring regularly, for 40 to 50 minutes, or for as long as the polenta you are using asks for.

  4. Finish with the butter and the Parmesan.

  5. Work it to a smooth, glossy, pourable consistency. It should be rich enough to sit under the oxtail without thinning out under the jus.

The gremolata

  1. Finely chop the parsley.

  2. Grate the garlic very finely, or microplane it.

  3. Finely grate the lemon zest.

  4. Combine the three immediately before service. Gremolata is mixed fresh, not made ahead.

  5. Keep it dry, bright and aromatic, and use it sparingly over the oxtail. It is there to cut the richness, not to sit on top of it.

Chef’s notes

  • The polenta and the gremolata stay inside this recipe rather than becoming preparations of their own. The quantities here are the ten portion ones from the later document; the technique is from Chef Paul's earlier full Coda di Bue recipe, which uses a different liquid and dairy and is recorded in the register rather than merged in.
  • No olive oil in this gremolata. The earlier twenty portion version has it, the ten portion one does not, and the later document is the one these quantities come from.

Keeping

DUKAI storage guidance

The overnight rest in its liquid is part of the recipe and happens refrigerated at 5°C or below. Cool it quickly rather than leaving it on the pass: to below 21°C within about two hours, and to 5°C or below within a further four. Beyond that night, use within 3 to 4 days or freeze it in its jus. The polenta does not keep and is made for service.

Allergens and diet

Gluten, from the flour. Milk, from the butter and parmesan. Sulphites, from the wine. Celery.

Last refined · September 2026