Oxtail Stew "Rabo Encendido"

Ingredients:

• 2.3 kg oxtails, cut into 5 cm thick round pieces
• 1 cup red Malbec wine
• 1 cup pisco (a Latin American grape brandy similar to grappa wine)
• 1 cup tardio (a sweet late-harvest wine made from Torrontes grapes), preferably Santa Julia
• 1 can (280 g) of hand-mashed whole tomatoes
• 3 large Italian roasted peppers, diced
• 1 large Spanish onion, diced
• 2 diced carrots
• 3 diced celery stalks
• 3 large Italian roasted peppers, diced
• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1/2 cup Cajun seasoning
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil plus 1 tbsp. l.
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 bunch thyme (leaves picked and chopped)
• Salt and ground black pepper
• Serving suggestions: with yellow rice

Preparation:

1. Dredge the oxtail pieces in flour and Cajun seasoning and fry in 2 tablespoons of oil. Remove from the pan. Drain the fat, deglaze the pan with a tardio, and reserve for later use.
2. In a separate pan, heat a tablespoon of oil and fry the onion, carrot, celery, and roasted peppers until caramelized and deglaze the pan with red wine.
   
   Add the oxtails to the vegetables, then the remaining tardio. Add the tomatoes, chipotle peppers, pisco, bay leaves, and thyme. Simmer for about 3 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with yellow rice.