WOW! I made one HECK of an incredible ox tail soup tonight!

[Rabrrrrrr]

The supermarket had a sale on oxtails the other day, so they were finally cheap enough that I was willing to give them a try.

So tonight I cooked 'em up in a MIGHTY fine soup!

YOWSER!! Do they make good soup, or what?

And oxtail meat is also exceptionally tasty. Really like it!

I'll be making this one more often, you can count on that.

[burrowowl]

1. I also use it

as a base for my extra special chili soup. Yum!

[mr_hat]

2. Were you super careful to clean off the, you know, dook?

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. Nah, Dookus wasn't here

So didn't have to clean 'im.

:-)

Yeah, I skimmed lots of stuff out, and then clarified the broth with a couple passes through thick cheesecloth.

[The Lone Liberal]

3. Wow. Love ox tail soup.

The wow was for your work. I would love to see the show. Some of the work really caught my interest, I would love to see it for real. Very good art.

[BlackVelvetElvis]

4. I went on a business trip once

and a woman from Mexico who worked in the office made us a home cooked Mexican meal. Ox tails simmered in beans, corn bread and rice. Excellent! The others cringed. Their loss, more ox tail for me!

[Badger1]

6. Best soup

I ever had, bar none, was ox tail in Dublin at a local fish and chips stand where the fish and chips were served on newspaper. The best! Extra vinegar on the fish please.

[bubblesby2002]

7. I am impressed with your culinary skills

My mom used to make ox-tail soup and we all loved it. The meat is so tender. It's one of the best soups.

[Rabrrrrrr]

8. I was amazed how tender the meat was

I've never had oxtails before, so I wasn't sure what I was getting into, except that I'd heard only raves about oxtails, so I figured I would be cooking something tasty.

Just didn't realize HOW tasty.

MMMmmmmmm

[dolo amber]

9. Ok, massively stupid question time...

What are oxes for? I mean, other than (obviously) to eat? They're not used by farmers anymore for breaking up fields (or are they? like I know from farmers...:eyes: :D), and I'm not at all sure what other uses they have. Oxen? Oxes? It's just all so confusing...:crazy:

I'm totally serious, unfortuately. :D

[Rabrrrrrr]

10. Ox tails are really now from beef cattle,

though I'm sure in some places where oxen are used, one can get real ox tails.

Farmers in other areas of the world use oxen, but I bet the number of farms in the US that use them are very very small.

[dolo amber]

12. I was reading

the "Little House on the Prarie" books recently (just for fun, I loved them as a kid ;)) and I realized the thing about oxen (she also uses 'oxes', hence the confusion). I was all like...oxen! How weird! Do they even make those anymore? :D

Not so much with the animal husbandry here...;)

Thanks, Rabrrrrrr! Glad you enjoyed your soup. :)

[flamingyouth]

11. Makes a great wintertime soup, I think

Haven't used it in a long time. Glad you had a yummy meal! :hi:

[madmax]

13. Have never tried ox tail anything

what does it taste like - and don't say chicken!! ;)

Where did you get the recipe?

[Rabrrrrrr]

17. It tastes like beef,

since it is beef, but it's a bit more concentrated in flavor, like a hanger steak, and the texture is a bit grainier, but still tender and smooth.

Got the recipe out of James Patterson's "Splendid Soups" book, first edition. I noticed at the B&N the other week that there is a new edition out, with some extra stuff in it and more pictures.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0471391360/qid=1078808791/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_4/002-3816620-9592059?v=glance&s=books

His comprehensive and ultimate book on sauces is a good one to have, too:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0471292753/ref=pd_sim_books_1/002-3816620-9592059?v=glance&s=books

and Julia Child's "The Way to Cook"

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0679747656/qid=1078808892/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_4/002-3816620-9592059?v=glance&s=books

Of all my cookbooks, these are the ones I go back to the most, because I'm not into "recipes" per se as I am into finding out how stuff works so I can come up with my own versions. All these books are tutorials, not just recipes (though the sauce book, because so many sauces are quite specifically named based on specific ingredients, is a bit more "recipe book" like).

[madmax]

18. Thanks for the info and the links.

Both Patterson's books look good. I'll check them out in person at Border's then order from Amazon ;)

I love soup - just tired of making the same'ol - same'ol.

[Zomby Woof]

14. What about YAK tail soup??

Huh???

[Rabrrrrrr]

15. I'm saving that for what will become known throught history

as the Zomby Visit, spoken in hushed tones like the holocaust and the dropping of the Atomic Bombs in Japan; America's last day, after the ZombyVisit party got out of hand.

[Zomby Woof]

16. I can tell you

Few DUers have met me in person, and even fewer walk away unscathed by the mind-bending reality that is THE ZOMBYWOOF.