Oxtail Beef Stew with Poblano Peppers

Oxtail & Poblano Peppers Stew

I’m so excited to share this recipe for Oxtail and Poblano Pepper Stew with you. I know that a lot of you must be trying to lose weight after the holidays, but I just couldn’t help myself! I really love stews, and I know that you’ll love this one too!

In Mexico, some people believe that the cuts of beef that are closest to the bone are the tastiest, and oxtail is a good example of that. In this recipe, the oxtail is paired with Poblano peppers in a tomato-based stew that can be served with white rice and enjoyed with some warm crusty bread.

I know that these types of cuts that include bone in them (like beef hind shank, oxtail, and beef ribs) are a little tough and need a longer period of cooking, but the end results are so worth it! Besides, the process used to cook them in this recipe will render a rich and flavorful beef broth that can be used for other dishes, like a tasty vegetable noodle soup. Don’t forget to look for the RUMBA® Meats brands; I love their vacuum-sealed package and the quality of their meat.

A reader once sent me an email asking me if this process was the traditional way of cooking these types of meat. Since I didn’t want to just say “oh well, this is just the way my mom made it”, I did some research and found out that even in one of the oldest cookbooks I have from the 1870s, the recipes use this process of cooking the meat separately.

Some of you have asked me where you can get the RUMBA® meats packages in your area. You can find out where they sell them by visiting the store locator on their website and entering your zip code.

Now let’s get this tasty recipe for Oxtail Stew with Poblano Peppers!

OXTAIL BEEF STEW WITH POBLANO PEPPERS

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS:

TO COOK THE OXTAIL

• 1 Beef Oxtail package from RUMBA® MEATS (about 2½ to 3 lbs.)
• Salt & pepper to season the meat
• ¼ medium-size white onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 cups of water

FOR THE SAUCE

• 2 Poblano peppers
• 4 large plum tomatoes (about 1 lb.)
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil.
• ½ medium-size white onion, cut into Julianne
• 2 Serrano peppers*, cut into strips.
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste (or ½ cup tomato puree)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro to garnish

NOTES:

• If you don’t find Serrano peppers, use 1 Jalapeño pepper.
• This stew can also be prepared with RUMBA® Meats Beef Hind Shank

DIRECTIONS:

1. Season the oxtail meat with salt and pepper. Place oxtail meat, onion, garlic, and bay leaf in a stockpot along with the 4 cups of water. I use my Instant Pot and cook the meat for 40 minutes until the meat is tender and can be easily separated from the bone. Once the meat is cooked, remove the meat from the bones. On a pressure cooker, the cooking time will be about 50 minutes. If using a regular stock pot, it will take about 1 hour and 45 Minutes, and up to 2 hours.
2. While the meat is cooking, roast the Poblano peppers by placing them directly over a medium flame. Turn them to have an even roasting, making sure you don’t burn the peppers. Remove them promptly, and place inside a plastic bag for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, roast the tomatoes.
3. Place the tomatoes on a hot griddle to roast, turning once on every side until it has roasted; you will know it is ready by the formation of a large brown spot. After they are roasted, remove from griddle.
4. Remove the charred skins from the Poblano peppers by rubbing your finger against their skin (if you can’t remove all the skin, that is ok; the roasted skin adds more flavor to the dish). After discarding the seeds and removing the veins, cut the peppers into strips and set aside.
5. Chop up the roasted tomatoes and place them in a blender along with the garlic cloves and 1 cup of water. Process until you a have a chunky sauce.
6. Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, sauté for one minute, and then add the Serrano pepper strips. Keep cooking for one more minute. At this time, pour in the blended sauce, 1 cup of the meat’s cooking broth, and the tomato paste. Stir well and cook for 5 more minutes.
7. Finally, add the meat and the poblano peppers,  season the sauce with salt and pepper. Keep cooking for 8 more minutes in a gentle simmer. If the sauce needs more liquid, add more of the beef oxtail cooking broth. To serve, garnish with the chopped cilantro.

5 from 4 votes

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Oxtail Beef Stew with Poblano Peppers

Cuts of beef that are closest to the bone are the tastiest, and this Oxtail Beef Stew with Poblano peppers is a good example of that. In this recipe, the oxtail is paired with Poblano peppers in a tomato-based stew that can be served with white rice and enjoyed with some warm crusty bread.

Category dish type: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 6

Author: Mely Martínez – Mexico in my Kitchen

Ingredients

TO COOK THE OXTAIL

• 1 Beef Oxtail package from RUMBA® MEATS about 2½ to 3 lbs.
• Salt & pepper to season the meat
• ¼ medium-size white onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 cups of water

FOR THE SAUCE

• 2 Poblano peppers
• 4 large plum tomatoes about 1 lb.
• 2 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil.
• ½ medium-size white onion cut into Julianne
• 2 Serrano peppers* cut into strips.
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste or ½ cup tomato puree
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro to garnish

Instructions

1. Season the oxtail meat with salt and pepper. Place oxtail meat, onion, garlic, and bay leaf in a stockpot along with the 4 cups of water. I use my Instant Pot and cook the meat for 40 minutes until the meat is tender and can be easily separated from the bone. Once the meat is cooked, remove the meat from the bones. On a pressure cooker, the cooking time will be about 50 minutes. If using a regular stock pot, it will take about 1 hour and 45 Minutes, and up to 2 hours.
2. While the meat is cooking, roast the Poblano peppers by placing them directly over a medium flame. Turn them to have an even roasting, making sure you don’t burn the peppers. Remove them promptly, and place inside a plastic bag for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, roast the tomatoes.
3. Place the tomatoes on a hot griddle to roast, turning once on every side until it has roasted; you will know it is ready by the formation of a large brown spot. After they are roasted, remove from griddle.
4. Remove the charred skins from the Poblano peppers by rubbing your finger against their skin (if you can’t remove all the skin, that is ok; the roasted skin adds more flavor to the dish). After discarding the seeds and removing the veins, cut the peppers into strips and set aside.
5. Chop up the roasted tomatoes and place them in a blender along with the garlic cloves and 1 cup of water. Process until you a have a chunky sauce.
6. Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, sauté for one minute, and then add the Serrano pepper strips. Keep cooking for one more minute. At this time, pour in the blended sauce, 1 cup of the meat’s cooking broth, and the tomato paste. Stir well and cook for 5 more minutes.

7. Finally, add the meat and Poblano peppers,  season the sauce with salt and pepper. Keep cooking for 8 more minutes in a gentle simmer. If the sauce needs more liquid, add more of the beef oxtail cooking broth. To serve, garnish with the chopped cilantro.

Recipe Notes

If you don’t find Serrano peppers, use 1 Jalapeño pepper.

This stew can also be prepared with RUMBA® Meats Beef Hind Shank

I hope you enjoy this Oxtail Stew with Poblano peppers and add it to your favorite recipes. As I mentioned above you can also use beef Hind Shank from Rumba Meats to prepare this stew. I usually buy their products at my local Walmart Store or Kroger. If you live in the Northeast part of the country, check your local GIANT Store. That is the supermarket I used to buy them when I lived in the MD-VA-DC area.

Thank you for visiting and if you try the recipe, please do come back to let us know your experience.

Buen Provecho!

If you enjoy cooking recipes using Oxtail, check this recipe for Chipotle Oxtail Tacos!

Do you have a favorite way to cook Oxtail?