stovetop oxtail soup

many dates

Oxtail is one of the toughest beef cuts and it requires a very long cooking time. It has more bone and fat than meat. Imo the best thing about oxtail is that it makes a really good soup. I don't care too much about the meat.

a. large-pot oxtail soup

22016-05-16

This is how I started out making oxtail soup, in a large pot with lots of water. The soup was good, but the meat was cooked to death and practically flavorless.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 4-5 quarts:

2 lbs. oxtail (1 package)
S&P

sliced & dived vegetables:

onion, carrot, celery, …
1 lb. button mushrooms
Normandy mix

spices in spice egg:

bay leaf, cloves, peppercorn …

Pic1: stovetop oxtail soup

Directions

2016-05-16

Pic2: mushrooms, mushroom liquor
Pic3: optionally twine the oxtail in a tight package
Pic4: the twine didn't hold :-(

Preparing the mushrooms:
- Heat some olive oil in a 6-qt. pot.
- Brown ½ chopped onion, optionally with some chopped bell pepper.
- Add sliced mushrooms.
- Sauté for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove, reserve and refrigerate the mushrooms.
  Mushrooms become rubbery tough when cooked too long.
If desired, tie the oxtails together with kitchen twine. (Pic2)
This prevents them from coming apart during the cooking.
Add the oxtail and spice egg to the mushroom liquor.
Add enough water to cover everything,
Add the vegetables now for soft and mushy vegetables.
If you prefer the vegetables crisp, add them 15-30 minutes before the meat is done.
Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Add S&P, spices to taste.
Simmer 2-3 hrs. or until the meat is quite tender. (Pic4+5)
Add the mushrooms shortly before serving, just long enough to warm them through again.
Serve the soup in a large bowl or cup.

Pic5: adding corn bread
Pic6: stir it together

Serving suggestion:

Add dry or toasted bread until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
This is similar to Pappa al Pomodoro which is a breaded tomato soup.
Serve immediately and enjoy.
I used corn bread which is very different. That may not be to everyone's taste.

b. saucepan oxtail soup

2019-09-04

LLast time I made this (3+ years ago), I tried to twine oxtail together and the twine failed. This time I used a 2-qt saucepan which is so small the package of oxtail barely fits. That guarantees the oxtail won't fall apart. :-)

The soup is a lot more conventrated and the meat tasted very beefy. See: small-pot oxtail.

INGREDIENTS

TThis is what you need for 2-3 servings:

oxtail, 1 package
S&P
dehydrated veggie mix
((Spring vegetable mix - knorr )

Pic1: saucepan oxtail soup is a lot more concentrated

Directions

2019-09-04

Pic2: the oxtail package barely fits
Pic3: simmering with dehydrated veggies
Pic4: all done - the pot held the meat together this time :-)

Fit the oxtail package in a 2 qt saucepan
Cover with water.
Add S&P and 1 package of dehydrated veggie mix.
Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for at least 3 hrs or until the meat is tender.
Remove and serve the meat.
Of course, a smaller pot also means less liquid, which means a much stronger stock.
This is ideal for long-term storage and for making sauces.
You may want to dilute this before drinking it.
If there is too much fat, refrigerate the stock to scoop the fat off the next morning.

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more and avemariasongs.org

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more
and avemariasongs.org