Slow Cooker (Crock Pot) Oxtail Barley Soup

This is a soup my mother fixed often when I was a child. It's not easy to find oxtails but the search is definitely worth it. I had a friend once who bought a side of beef and was going to throw away the tail. I snatched them out of her hand and hugging them to my chest, ran home and made oxtail soup. I brought her a bowl and after much hesitation she tried it. That was the last time she gave me these choice bones.

• Ready In: 9 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 3 1/2 quarts

Ingredients

• 2  lbs  oxtails
• 2 1⁄2 quarts water
• 6  peppercorns
• 2  bay leaves
• 2  stalks celery & leaves, roughly chopped
• 1  medium onion, roughly chopped
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 2  medium potatoes, cut into cubes
• 3  carrots or 1⁄2 lb  baby carrots
• 1  cup quick-cooking barley
• 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes

Directions

1. Saute celery and onions till tender.
2. In slow cooker, add water, oxtail, potatoes, carrots, peppercorns, bay leaves, celery, onion, and salt. If using regular barley, add at this time too.
3. Cover and simmer for 8- 10 hours, until meat is tender, potatoes and carrots are cooked, and barley is tender.
4. When meat is tender, take meat off bones and return to broth.
5. Bring broth to boil and add quick-cooking barley and tomatoes.
6. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until barley is tender.
7. Note: Beef shanks, neck or other bones with meat remaining on them may be used in place of oxtail.