The Rabo de Toro Pilgrimage

Rabo de toro is oxtail - a tough, gelatinous, deeply flavoured cut - browned hard then braised slowly with red wine, a good slug of Andalusian sherry, onions, carrots, garlic and bay until the meat collapses and the sauce turns rich, dark and silky. Served with fries or bread to mop, it's the kind of slow-cooked masterpiece that rewards patience and tastes of southern Spain's bullfighting tradition and its sherry country.

Seville is the stage: a heat-shimmering Andalusian city of orange trees, tiled patios, the vast Gothic cathedral and the fairy-tale Alcázar, and tapas bars on every corner. Rabo de toro in an old Sevillano taberna, with a glass of red or a chilled fino sherry, is exactly the deep, comforting counterpoint to all that southern brightness. A perfect day-trip dish.