Oxtail Soup | Recipe
think outside of the ox
use the tail
Like many immigrant families, our house was burst at the seams with people. Everyone entered the US through our crib, so best believe that family dinner was always poppin. And no proper get together is complete without a nice big pot of soup to kick things off.
Every so often, my dad or grandma would make oxtail soup for one of these gatherings. My mom showed me how to take the oxtail out of the broth and eat it with a little bit of soy sauce; that’s still how I do it today.
This dish is definitely one of my favorite memories from childhood. So in the winter, when I wake up on Sunday without a hangover, it’s oxtail soup season. It’s got everything you want and need. The broth is rich from the beef fat and marrow. The carrot and celery provide a nice crisp texture. Potato and tomato add a pleasant graininess to the mix. The shit is good, is what I’m saying.
The recipe below is good for 8-10 servings (or 4 if you’re Andrew). You can serve it as a starter, or have it over a bowl of rice and it’s basically a meal. Let’s get going:
What’s in it
1 pack of oxtails (about 2 large pieces and 4-5 small/medium pieces)
Beef bones (Either 1 femur, or some chopped up rib bones with some meat on them)
1 large white onion
1 head garlic
1 hunk ginger
1 bunch celery
1 package carrots
2 medium russet potatoes
2 large tomatoes
Salt
Sesame oil
White pepper powder (optional)
Fish sauce (optional)
Once you have your ingredient prepped, check to see if it can all fit into one pot. If not, you can freeze half of it for a future batch.
Before you get started cooking, make sure you got a new show that you can binge. It takes about 3 hours total. The key is to add the ingredients in the right order, at the right time. Or the texture gets all messed up. You don’t want them potatoes to be too soggy. That shit wack. See the photo below for an example of how to cut the vegetables.
How to do it
Fill your cooking pot halfway up (pot should be enough to fit at least 1 gallon of water)
Once boiling, add the oxtail and bones and let boil for 15 minutes
Some foamy scum will rise to the top of the broth. Scoop off the scum into a bowl and toss that funk down the sink
Add a drizzle of sesame oil
Dice the onion, peel the garlic and slice the ginger into thin inch long pieces and toss it all in. Let boil for 90 minutes while stirring occasionally. Check every 15 minutes. If the water gets low (meat and bones peaking above the broth) add 1-2 more cups of water
Next, cut the celery and carrots into inch long pieces and add them to the mix. Boil for more 45 mins, stir occasionally
Cut the potatoes and tomatoes into medium chunks and throw em in. Boil for 30 mins, stir occasionally.
Turn off the fire.
Add in salt, fish sauce and white pepper powder to taste; then stir up good
Serve to the thankful friends and family