Brazilian · lunch, dinner

Rabada com Agrião (Brazilian Oxtail Stew with Watercress)

Rabada com agrião

Video by Cueca Cook - Receitas sem enrolação on YouTube, in Portuguese · Open on YouTube

110 minServes 4529 kcal a serve
  • Gluten-free ingredients
  • Dairy-free
  • Nut-free

Contains: none of the common allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

41 g protein and 13 g net carbs a serve from slow-cooked oxtail with carrots, tomato and watercress — rich in vitamin B12, zinc and iron.

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Ingredients 12

Method

The cook speaks Portuguese; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.

  1. Rub the oxtail pieces with lime juice and salt and leave for 20 minutes. 0:15
  2. Drop the oxtail into a pot of boiling water and boil for 20 minutes to draw out the fat. Drain and throw away the greasy water. 0:32
  3. Put the oxtail back into a clean pressure cooker and fry it in its own fat, without oil, until browned and a crust forms on the bottom. 1:00
  4. Add the diced onion, garlic and carrots and fry them with the meat until well coloured. 1:24
  5. Pour in water to cover, add the tomato paste, tempero baiano (or pepper), bay leaves and a little salt. Bring to pressure, lower the heat once it hisses and cook for 40 minutes. 1:44
  6. Release the pressure, adjust the salt and pepper and simmer uncovered until the sauce is thick and glossy. 2:09
  7. Turn off the heat, add the watercress (thick stems removed), stir in gently, cover and leave for 5 minutes before serving. 2:27

Tip. Serves 4 (as the cook says). Rabada is traditionally served with soft polenta or rice; extra watercress or a green salad keeps the meal lower in carbs. Make it a day ahead and lift off the set fat before reheating.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One serve gives you 1 of 4

Energy529 kcal2,210 kJ
Protein41 g83% of a day
Fibre3.6 g13% of a day
Carbohydrate16 g12 g net · 8.1 g sugars6% of a day
Fat34 g15 g saturated44% of a day
Sodium550 mg24% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

  • Net carbs 9%
  • Protein 32%
  • Fat 59%

Very low carb: under 10% of the energy is from carbs.

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Vitamin B12 High216%

5.2 µg a serve, mostly from beef oxtail (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Zinc High136%

15 mg a serve, mostly from beef oxtail (97%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Selenium High86%

47 µg a serve, mostly from beef oxtail (94%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Vitamin K High62%

75 µg a serve, mostly from watercress (83%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Vitamin A High41%

372 µg a serve, mostly from carrots (79%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Vitamin B6 High40%

0.7 mg a serve, mostly from beef oxtail (64%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Iron High31%

5.5 mg a serve, mostly from beef oxtail (73%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Vitamin C High28%

25 mg a serve, mostly from watercress (43%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Potassium High21%

1000 mg a serve, mostly from beef oxtail (36%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Magnesium Source15%

61 mg a serve, mostly from beef oxtail (49%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Vitamin E Source15%

2.2 mg a serve, mostly from tomato paste (69%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Show the other 4
Folate8%

32 µg a serve, mostly from onion (29%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Calcium7%

95 mg a serve, mostly from watercress (31%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Omega-35%

0.1 g a serve, mostly from beef oxtail (86%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Vitamin D1%

0.1 µg a serve, mostly from beef oxtail (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

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Recipe and video by Cueca Cook - Receitas sem enrolação; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.