Rabo Encendido or Braised Peppered Oxtail, a lo Cubano for Mother’s Day

One of the most rewarding benefits of cooking, especially on camera, is having my Mother with me in the kitchen. Let me tell you what… there’s nothing like experiencing the reversal of roles with a hardcore Cuban mother whose life mission and purpose has been to raise and develop forward-thinking adults who invoke her spirit in our respective lives. She’s that Mother who stands by your side no matter what but will still call you out on any misdeed. But when she’s in my space, I love challenging her to lay off a bit… I say that with all the love in my heart for her — she knows that — but if you know my Mother, you know she’s the unchallenged Maestra in so many relevant crannies of life. She just doesn’t know what to do with herself when something she knows inherently has taken a slight deviation. Especially her beloved recetas… specifically her oxtail or rabo encendido.

Yes, a lot of, if not all of the Cuban cuisine I’ve mastered has been because she took the time to teach and nurtur my learning. Even though I can now equally claim the kitchen as my domain and I’ve designed my own version of her classic dishes, she’s still the Queen Bee in the kitchen. Even in mine… so she likes to think. We made my version of a classic Cuban Rabo Encenido, or braised oxtail, as published in my cookbook, Modern Pressure Cooking, for a really fun and bonded Facebook Live, and she loved it. You won’t see her trying to throw a little bit of shade because she’s now figured out when I hit “record”. Though, now I’m thinking you all would have loved that exchange. I use way too much cumin, in her opinion.

{READ: Check out more Cuban recipes!}

For Mother’s Day, Rumba Meats invited me to share a memorable recipe from my childhood and one that pays homage to our Mothers. My Mami’s oxtail was it. It’s the one dish I hold close to my heart’s desires and one I still love making for any occasion.

This time, it was live on Facebook for the world to see. No script, no rehearsals, no do-overs, no plot… just natural us doing what we love, together.

Grab a glass of wine and enjoy our cooking demo! I hope you’ll watch the whole thing and learn something new about us, our cuisine and why I love it so much.  I’m looking forward to doing many more with her!

*pardon the poor quality of the video. Really not sure how Facebook rendered it so low. I’ve tried over and over again to tweak it and nada. 

Eat well, love unapologetically, pray with true intention, and take care of yourself.

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