Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided, or more as needed
• 2 1/4 pounds beef oxtail, cut into pieces
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 leek, sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 cups red wine
• 3 ripe tomatoes, quartered
• 1 sprig thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• water to cover
• 1 cube beef bouillon (optional)
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; brown oxtail, about 3 minutes per side.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion, carrots, leek, and garlic. Cook and stir until tender and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour vegetable mixture into Dutch oven with the oxtail. Add red wine, tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaves; stir to combine. Bring stew to a boil until alcohol from red wine evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add enough water to cover, bouillon cube, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat falls away from bone, about 4 hours. Remove oxtail from stewing liquid.
4. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour to form a thick paste; cook and stir until flour turns light brown, about 15 minutes. Whisk in stewing liquid and bring to a boil; simmer until thickened to stew consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour stew over the oxtail to serve.