Serves 6-8 people
approx. 1.5 kg sliced beef (ox) tail. Skinless, please!
1 large or 2 medium white or yellow onions
200 ml cup of beef broth
2-3 bay leaf
1 kg of carrots (either pre-cut or prep yourself)
handful of peppercorns
few pinches of ground black pepper
few pinches of salt
2 tbsp of fish sauce
green garnish of choice (spring onion, or parsley) or not at all

Recipe Courtesy of
Matthias Rhoads

Oxtail Soup

Momma Delia’s Oxtail Soup is near and dear to my heart, and brings back many sweet memories with my beloved family and friends, from old to new. This recipe is originally from my mom’s sister, but we don’t know where she got it! It’s simple to make but takes patience. The big secret is to make it really tender through hours of simmering in a flavorful beef broth. The ultimate comfort food, this heartwarming soup is the perfect rustic addition to your Noche Buena and Christmas dinner menu.

Difficulty: Medium

Preparation: 10 min
Cook: 240 min
Clean up: 15 min

Steps: 3 steps
10 Ingredients

Difficulty: Medium
Steps: 3 steps
10 Ingredients

Preparation: 10 min
Cook: 240 min
Clean up: 15 min

Instructions

Cleansing
- Rinse oxtail, then place into pot with water high enough to submerge all, boil on medium heat for 15-30 minutes until brown foam of “impurities” form at top.
- Scoop out all brown foam, then take strainer large enough to catch all meat into sink, toss out old water, rinse all meat and clean out pot.

Slow-braising
- Dice up onions, place beef back into now clean pot with enough water to cover all meat, fire up the water and add diced onions, whole peppercorn, and bay leaf.
- Once at a rolling boil, set to medium-low heat. Patience is key now, give it at least 3 hours closed lid before you begin tasting.
- After 3 hours, water level will have receded. Add approx. 200 ml of beef broth to return liquid level and for flavor. At this point, meat should be tender to fork test. If tender, fork pricking should be easy. If not, continue rolling boil with closed lid for increments of 30 minutes until tender.

Add carrots
- Prep your carrots while meat is braising. Peel all surfaces of carrots and slice them into segments of 2-3 inches in length.
- Let it rest in moist container of water until meat is tender.
- Add carrots to the already-tender bone broth soup (3-4 hours usually have passed, sometimes longer depending on meat) and cook for another 30 minutes to soften carrots.
- While softening carrots in oxtail soup, season the mix! Add several pinches of ground black pepper and salt to taste, as well as some splashes of fish sauce to enhance that umami savory flavor.
- Use your chef and foodie senses to balance the flavor to a T. Carrots will add a slight sweetness, and the added broth, salt, and fish sauce will have added the salty savory flavor. So if necessary, add more water especially if the liquid is drying out.
- Once carrots also pass the fork test, your soup is ready!