Scottish Oxtail Soup

"You won't find this one in the Campbell's Soup section of your local grocery store! When I was a child, this was a family favourite and my mother made it fairly often. Nowadays, oxtails are becoming increasingly hard to find, although you might get some from an old-fashioned butcher or meat market. Therefore, some folks now substitute inexpensive cuts of bone-in beef. Here, in the metropolitan Washington, DC area, I can occasionally get oxtails from the meat department at some of the Giant Food supermarkets. In my opinion, it is well worth the hunt for oxtails, because the taste is very distinctive and different than any beef soup."
 
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photo by Ronald Stirling photo by Ronald Stirling
photo by Ronald Stirling
photo by Ronald Stirling photo by Ronald Stirling
Ready In:
2hrs 50mins
Ingredients:
14
Yields:
40 ounces, approximately
Serves:
4-6
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ingredients

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directions

  • To make the spice bag, place 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs thyme, 4 large sprigs parsley (including stalks), one 4-inch piece celery stalked with leaves, and two whole green onions in the center of a square of double thickness cheesecloth.
  • Fold up the sides of the cheesecloth and tie off the top very tightly to make a spice bag.
  • (Equivalent dry herbs may be substituted).
  • Fry the oxtail pieces and the vegetables in the fat for a few minutes until lightly browned.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Pour the beef stock into a saucepan and add the fried oxtail and vegetables as well as the spice bag.
  • Bring to the boil, and then transfer to a crockpot and cook on high for 1½- 2 hours (or longer if necessary) until the meat is tender.
  • Strain the stock, cut all the meat (in small pieces) from the bones and then return the stock and meat to the pan.
  • Bring to the boil.
  • Puree.
  • Mix the flour and port together and add to the soup.
  • Simmer for 5 minutes before serving.

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Reviews

  1. First let me say this recipe rocks!!!! I want to add a variation and hope it doesn't offend. I roast the oxtail with extra onion, celery, and turnips until well browned and then proceed with the recipe as stated. I usually make it a day ahead and skim to remove any fat. The depth of this broth is so rich and wonderful! Thanks for sharing!!!! T.J>
     
  2. Nice recipie, added a little garlic and 1/2 tea cup of pearl barley with extra stock,went further and made for a very filling soup
     
  3. Really nice recipe, I also added garlic. Perfect soup for a blustery cold day !!! Thank you so much for sharing !!!
     
  4. I managed to get a buffalo tail and had no idea what to do with it. This is the first recipe I came across and it is WONDERFUL! I added a BULB of garlic. I made it again using plain old stew meat and its just as good. I don't have any means to puree, so the buffalo tail meat was a bit on the tendony/fatty side, but YUM!
     
  5. Posted a Jpg of the basic ingredients of my version of this soup. Day 1: Carefully trim all fat and skin from 3lbs of Oxtail; simmer the Oxtail in 1+1/2 pints of bouillon for 5 hrs.The bowls are pure jelly ,refrigerated and degreased. Beans soaked in water overnight,the meat separated from all remaing tissue.
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Gavin "Miller" Duncan passed away November 12, 2004 in Laurel, MD from complications of a "broken" heart. The outpouring of support from the Recipezaar community while his health was declining was a huge comfort to him and even "perked him up" a bit in his final month. Miller was a huge asset to Recipezaar, not only due to his incredible collection of recipes, but his participation in the forums. Miller was known for his wonderful low-sodium recipes, his warmth, and last, but not least, his wicked, dry sense of humor. Liza at Recipezaar ********************************************************* No, the picture to the left is not me. It is, in fact, a picture of famous TV Chef Jamie Oliver (a/k/a Thpit Boy)’s grandfather, the late Sir Topaz McWhacker. Note the strong family resemblance, most noticeable in the nose, eyebrows, and general lack of cleanliness Legend has it that Topaz taught Thpit everything that he knows about whacking and about only washing and combing his hair twice a year. . Instead of the trivia that many Recipezaar members have displayed on their “About Me” pages, I thought it might be a tad more helpful if I were to provide some beneficial information that you can put to good practical use either in your own kitchen or when you are watching the antics of some celebrated TV chefs. So, for your enlightenment..... . . Chairman Kaga: When he says “Ion Shff”, he really means “Iron Chef” or, perhaps, “I need a Kleenex” . Chef Paula Deen: When she says “awl”, she really means “oil”. When she says “y’all”, she really means “everyone except m’all”. When she says “bring the water to a bawl”, I have no clue what she means - I thought you could only make a baby “bawl”. And, boys and girls, you can easily Deenize the sentences that you use in your very own kitchen, such as “All y’all can bawl your corn in olive awl or wrap it in aluminum fawl”. . Emeril Lagasse: When he says “confectionery sugar’, he really means “confectioners’ sugar”. When he says “pappa-reeka”, he really means “paprika”. When he says “inside of”, he really means “in”. When he says “a little”, he really means “a lot”. Have you ever tried to count the number of times he says “a little” during any given show? Don’t – it will drive you nuts. When he says “cardamin”, he really means “cardamom”. When he says “my water don’t come seasoned”, what he really means is “I need a new joke writer”. When he says “that www dot food thing”, he really means “I flunked Computerese 101”. . Iron Chef Morimoto: When he says “Foo Netwu”, he really means “Food Network”. . Dessert Dude Jacques Torres: When he says “I going”, he really means “I am going”. (The verb “to be” has apparently been deleted from the French language.) . Spit Boy Jamie Oliver: When he says “whack it in the oven”, he really means “I am into hot, kinky stuff”. When he says “Bob’s yer uncle”, what he really means is “you’d better ask your aunt how well she REALLY knew that mailman named Robert”. When he says “rocket”, he really means “an older weapon being used in Iraq”. When he says “Fewd Netwuk”, he really means “Food Network”. . Numerous chefs: When they say “codfish” and “tunafish”, what they really mean is “cod” and “tuna”, respectively. Please note that they use these terms so that you don’t go out and buy “codanimal” or “tunavegetable” by mistake. Having said that, I have no clue as to why they don’t refer to “troutfish”, “salmonfish”, “red snapperfish”, etc., etc. . Giggly-Wiggly Rachael Ray: When she says “EVOO”, she really means “don’t use BOCO (boring old corn oil)”. When she says “a little lettuce action going on”, she really means “with only 8 minutes left in the game, cabbages are still in the lead, but lettuces are making a strong comeback”. . Two Fat Ladies: When they say “I gwing”, they really mean “I am going” or “Sorry, but we have been watching too many episodes of Jacques Torres’ show”. . Please note that the above is not all-inclusive. If there are other celebrity chef words or phrases that have you stumped, please post an "ISO" message in the discussion forums and I will find the translation for you.
 
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