I love the less loved cuts of any animal – you need to treat them skilfully to get the best out of them. I often find that the result is so satisfying that I keep coming back to it and this oxtail stew is no exception. It’s not a recipe that was handed down by my Mum, but is actually something I have worked out and developed myself through investigation and real passion.

In my family we eat this dish of braised red cabbage with apples as a starter on Christmas Eve. I’m a born and bred Madrileño and this is a very traditional Christmas dish; in fact I can’t recall a Christmas without it. My great aunty Tere is always in charge of this dish but I am the one she gives it first to try, to check if it’s missing something. I have learned from the best.

When trying to cook with a bit more flavour it is inevitable in lots of different dishes the need to resource to a home-made rich and flavoursome stock. In some dishes it is fundamental to use them as water just doesn’t quite cut it. At times we all resort to the quick and ready stock cube, but if you want to eat a more natural diet or have restaurant tasting dishes that are incredibly satisfying when you serve them at the table then there is no way around it as to make your own. The difference will make you proud and your chicken paellas will taste better than ever.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to a dish to die for – Madrid-style beef tripe stew. I’m not joking: I’ve seen people fighting for the last plate of this incredible stew. Be aware – you need to have a taste for gelatinous types of food, as this dish is all about that. As you will have gathered by now, in Spain turning the ugly parts of the animal into something beautiful. The hardest part will be shopping for the ingredients; the preparation itself is very simple.