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More than 20 years ago, Miguel Tenesaca immigrated from Ecuador to Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, beginning a culinary journey that has taken him from restaurant kitchens throughout the city to his current role: co-owner of Dell Rooster, the Latin fusion restaurant he opened with Chef Carlos Garza in 2021 in the same neighborhood he first called home.
Tenesaca’s desire to honor his Latin roots is evident in the restaurant’s name (in Latin culture, a rooster symbolizes faith, strength, hope, unity, life, the beginning of a new day) and in the menu inspired by ingredients from all 27 Latin American countries — North and South America, as well as the Caribbean.
Examples include Arepa De Chocla (Colombian-style arepas), Caribbean Empanadas, Guanatos Style Torta Ahogada, Short Rib Barbacoa, Milanesa a Caballo (Uruguay style breaded chicken), Venezuelan Cachapa (sweet corn and cheese, sofrito, seasonal vegetables, aji sauce), and Rabo Encendido — a Dell Rooster favorite.
According to Garza, that dish became a guest favorite even before it became a chef favorite thanks to the bold flavors and one main ingredient: oxtail.
“We turned that humble ingredient into a flavorful dish,” Garza explains. “We cooked it for many hours in low heat with spices, tomato, herbs, chiles, until it was falling off the bone. We then presented the dish with sweet plantains, pickled onions, aioli, and fresh cheese, which brings a complex explosion of flavors for every palate, from savory and sweet, to sour, spicy, and salty.”
Here, Tenesaca and Garza share the recipe with el Restaurante:
Dell Rooster’s Rabo Encendido
Makes 5 to 10 servings
(depending on how plated)
5 oxtail
1 qt. chicken broth
Pasilla peppers, 5 each
Guajillo peppers, 5 each
Ancho peppers, 5 each
Chipotle peppers, 5 each
2 c. tomato juice
2 c. tomato purée
1 c. garlic cloves
¼ c. ancho powder
2 T. dried oregano
2 T. cumin
2 c. red bell peppers
2 c. green bell peppers
3 c. red onion
1 c. red wine
Season oxtail with salt and pepper, then sear the oxtail on a sauté pan on high heat. Once oxtail is seared, place it in a saucepan, add chicken stock, and let sit to cook for 2.5 to 3 hours.
Soak all of the dried peppers (pasilla, guajillo, ancho, chipotle) in boiling water for 15 minutes. Put soaked peppers into a blender and turn the mixture into a smooth purée.
In a separate blender, combine tomato juice, tomato purée, garlic, and spices (ancho powder, dried oregano, cumin).
Once the oxtail is done, pull the meat off the bones.
In a medium-size sauté pan, sauté bell peppers and onions, then add the pepper purée, tomato purée, and red wine, and season with salt and pepper. Add the oxtail and simmer all together for 3 minutes on low heat. Enjoy!