More of this Feature • Part 1: History and tips • Part 2: Oxtail Recipes

Related Resources • Ground Beef • Filet Mignon / Tenderloin • More Meat Articles • Main Recipe Index

Recipes •  Basque Oxtails •  Breaded Oxtails •  Kare Kare •  Oxtail Ragout with Beer •  Stewed Oxtail, Oriental-Style • More Oxtail Recipes

Related Cookbooks • The Complete Meat Cookbook • Beef for All Seasons • Back to Protein: The Low Carb/No Carb Meat Cookbook • Beef • More Cookbooks

In days of old, oxtails did come from oxen, but today they are simply the tails of beef cattle of both genders. The consumption of oxtails dates back as far as the consumption of beef, when no part of the animal went to waste or by-products. Every part of the animal was utilized, and the tail made a wonderful hearty soup that stretched a small amount of meat with the addition of any variety of vegetables. Oxtail soup is a comfort food for many.

Cooks around the world have long made use of oxtails with variations on a theme. Today, upscale chefs are rediscovering oxtails to the nostalgic delight of older patrons and the wonder of the younger crowd who consider it an exotic meat. And it's not just for soup or stew these days, as you'll see from the recipes.

In the kitchen
Oxtails make the most flavorful beef stock. For the most part, the robust beef flavor comes from the bones and marrow, but the meat is also very tasty. The rendered stock will be thick and gelatinous due to the collagen released.

Although oxtails are being used for much more than soup or stew nowadays, long, slow braising in a liquid is the preferred method to derive a tender result while drawing maximum flavor from what is pretty much all bones. Plan on a long cooking time. Oxtails work particularly well in crockpots and pressure cookers.

Whereas oxtails used to be considered a "throwaway" meat, often free for the asking or close to it, you may have to put an order in ahead of time these days. Availability will depend on supply and demand in your area. After all, there is only one tail per cow. If you have difficulty finding oxtails in your locale, you can substitute meaty veal or beef neck, short rib, shank or other various soup bones, but don't expect quite as robust a flavor.

If you're looking for the most intense beef flavor, try some oxtail recipes.

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