Ox Tail Soup - a Very Hearty Soup for Fall and Winter

4 lbs Trimmed oxtails, sectioned
3 qts water
4 carrots, cut into large pieces
2-3 onions, cut into large pcs
1-2 parsnips or potatoes, small pcs, almost diced
1 15 oz can whole (or chopped) tomatoes
1-2 red bell pepper, chopped into large pcs
1 green bell pepper, chopped into large pcs
1 cu chopped celery
1 cu pearled barley
12 oz V8 or a similar juice
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 cu parsley, chopped
flour
olive oil, salt, freshly ground black pepper

Coat tail sections in flour and brown in oil, using heavy skillet, along with garlic, peppers and onions. If pan is not large enough, do not overcrowd, but cook in 2 sections. Meat must be browned. (If you have a good heavy soup pot, brown in that, but not a light one.)
When all tails are browned, remove all to soup pot, including all scrapings, and add water, V8, chopped tomatoes, and bay leaves. Partially cover, bring almost to boil, then reduced heat and simmer for 2 hours.
Add barley, carrots, parsnips(potatoes), a little salt and pepper, and celery, Simmer another hour.
Let stand about 15 minutes or so, and remove fat from surface. (Skim, use a turkey baster, or refrigerate at this point for service next day, removing fat then.)
Remove bay leaves, adjust salt and pepper as desired.
Add parsley.
Serve with crusty bread, with butter available.
_______________________________________________

08-23-03, 08:03 PM
gizmogram
DG - This sounds good, although personally I've never had oxtails. Seems like it would work well with ham hocks too! Smile

08-23-03, 09:25 PM
DorianGreyed
This recipe is what my grandfather made. Some recipes actually call for adding some hocks for additional flavor. If you are low on ox tails (and so many of us are these days), slightly brown the carrots, parsnips/potatoes, and celery before adding them to the soup. Another variation is to add a cup of beef broth. This is a very robust soup. Simply by increasing the amount of vegetables, a hearty stew can be made from this recipe. Remember that the meat needs to be browned in a heavy pot or skillet. Those who like soup should invest in a good soup pot as soon as possible. A good one is on the expensive side, but your children will argue over who gets it after you are gone.

11-22-04, 03:45 PM
Judy
This is my very most favorite soup!! It is the only way I can stand to smell beef cooking and the only way I can eat beef outside of hamburger. It is sooo good.

11-16-05, 11:35 AM
DorianGreyed
I should have added that this soup should be served with a good, crusty bread, such as French bread, with a hard crust. The hard crust gives you something to grip when you mop up the remaining soup from the bowl.
Today is the first cold day we have had around here, with a wind chill of 16F. It's time to make this soup. Now where did that ox go?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DorianGreyed,