History
Fact or Fiction?
Oxtail in America, like most dishes attributed to the African American community, has it roots in the African slave trade. This dish can be found almost anywhere around the globe, and there are as many variations of preparing it. Nowadays, with the large influx of immigrants from around the globe, oxtail soup has gained popularity in the United States.. But where did it come from?
Legend puts oxtail soup's origin in France during the French Revolution. The story goes... after slaughter, the oxen
hides were taken to the tanneries without being cleaned and the tail still
attached. Since meat was scarce for both aristocrat and
peasant, a French nobleman asked for a tail from which he created the first
oxtail soup. As it gained popularity, the tanners began charging for the tails.
The dish was supposedly introduced to England by French refugees from the Revolution.
Oxtail on the Shore
Oxtail soup is not indigenous to the Maryland's Eastern Shore, but neither was my father. He was from North Carolina, and brought the Carolina influence to our table. Dad was not a cook per se, but whatever he cooked...it was good. In addition to chopped BBQ, and pulled pork (Carolina favorites), I remember oxtail as one of his signature dishes that he only made every "blue moon"...usually when he and mom would entertain out-of-town guests. However, it took me years to get up the nerve to eat it. That's because I had this thing about eating the tail of anything. For me, oxtail was in the same category as chicken and pigs' feet. There were certain parts of an animal I would not touch, no matter how good others claimed it was. You can only imagine my shock when I learned about chitterlings....one of my favorite dishes. This dish is gluten free if you use Swanson's Beef Stock or another gluten free beef stock.
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| Photo: June T |
Oxtail Soup w/Brandy
Ingredients
3 lbs oxtails (separated
joints)
Salt and pepper
to taste
Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 medium yellow chopped onion
1 chopped celery stalk
1 large chopped carrot
2 sliced carrots
2 cup Swanson’s
beef stock
2 cups of red
wine (optional but highly suggested )
2 shots of Brandy (one for the dish... the other for yourself)
3 whole cloves unpeeled
garlic
One bay leaf
Pinch of thyme
Parsley
2 sliced turnips
2 sliced parsnips
Preparation
With good quality paper towels, pat
oxtails dry then sprinkle them completely with salt and pepper.
In a large Dutch oven (6-quart) heat
1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium high heat.
Add small batches at a time searing
the oxtails in the hot pan on all sides until golden brown. Remove the oxtails
with tongs and transfer them to a bowl containing the wine (take a swig of wine). Let sit
Add the carrot, chopped onion, and
celery to the pan. Cook the vegetables for about 5-7 minutes or until you can
see through the onions.
Add the oxtails with wine back to
the pan and add shot of brandy (take swig of brandy). Add the whole garlic cloves and
the stock. Stir briefly. Add bay leaf, thyme, and half a teaspoon of salt.
Bring to simmer.
Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook
for 3 hours or until meat is fork tender.
About an hour before the oxtails are
done, preheat heat oven on 350°F.
Place carrots, parsnips, and turnips
and olive oil in a roasting pan and sprinkle well with salt and pepper. Roast
vegetables for 1 hour, or until lightly browned and cooked through.
When meat is tender, remove the oxtails
from the liquid. Skim the fat off the top with a spoon, or use a fat separator.
*An easier way to
remove the fat is to allow the liquid to cool to room temperature then place it
in the fridge for several hours so that the fat solidifies. Once hardened,
scrape off the fat, reheat and then remove the meat from the dish.
Pour the cooking liquid through a
mesh strainer into a bowl. Use a rubber spatula to press against the vegetable
solids that are caught in the strainer. Discard the solids. Return the liquid
to the pan and simmer until reduced by half. Then add in the oxtails, and add
the roasted vegetables to the pan.
Reduce heat to low for and continue
to cook for about 30 minutes
