Oxtail Soup

Name: Oxtail Soup
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 240 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 2 kg Oxtail, jointed; 2 tbsp Beef Dripping, or neutral oil; 2 large Onions, roughly chopped; 2 Carrots, roughly chopped; 2 stalks of Celery, roughly chopped; 1 Leeks, white part only, sliced, optional; 1 tbsp Tomato Purée; 2 tbsp Plain Flour; 2 l Water, cold; 2 Bay Leaves; 4 sprigs of Thyme, fresh (or 1 tsp dried); 9 Black Peppercorns, whole; 2 Cloves, whole (traditional); 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce; 2 tbsp Madeira, or dry sherry, to finish; 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter, for enriching; optional; Some Parsley Stalks, small bunch; tie as bouquet garni; Some Salt, to taste; Some Pepper (Black), freshly ground; to taste; Some Flat-Leaf Parsley, fresh, finely chopped (garnish)

This slow-simmered Oxtail Soup yields a deep, glossy broth and fall-off-the-bone meat — the ultimate comforting bowl. Aromatic vegetables, a splash of Madeira and Worcestershire, and classic herbs build layers of savory flavor, finished with a knob of butter and bright parsley for balance.

This slow-simmered Oxtail Soup yields a deep, glossy broth and fall-off-the-bone meat — the ultimate comforting bowl. Aromatic veg... Show more

Traditional British Recipe

Health Grade

C · Balanced

Rating

4.0

Time

4 hrs

Price

1,63 €

Calories

468 kcal

low calorie

healthy

meal prep

one pot

Method

Prep the aromatics

Pat the Oxtail dry. Roughly chop the Onion, Carrots, and Celery; if you are using them, trim the Leeks to the white part, slice them, and rinse away any grit. Tie the Parsley Stalks, Bay Leaf, Thyme, Black Peppercorns, and Cloves into a bouquet garni with kitchen string so it is ready to go.

Brown the oxtail

Heat the Beef Dripping — or neutral oil if that is what you have — in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches so you do not crowd the pot, sear the oxtail pieces until they are deeply browned on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes per batch, then transfer them to a plate.

Soften the veg

Lower the heat to medium and add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, and leeks to the pot. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in the Tomato Purée and Plain Flour, and cook for 2 minutes more to coat everything and take the raw edge off the flour.

Simmer gently

Return the browned oxtail to the pot and pour in the Water straight from the tap. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom, then stir in the Worcestershire Sauce, the bouquet garni, and a little Salt and Pepper (Black). Bring everything to a boil, skim off the foam, then lower the heat to the barest simmer, cover loosely, and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the meat is very tender and the broth is rich.

Strain and reduce

Lift the oxtail out with tongs and let it cool just enough to handle. Pick the meat from the bones, discard the bones, skim off any obvious fat from the broth, then strain it through a sieve into a clean pot. Return the meat to the strained broth and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to concentrate the flavour.

Finish and serve

Stir in the Madeira — or dry sherry if that is what you have — and, if you want a richer finish, whisk in the Unsalted Butter off the heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then ladle the soup into warm bowls and finish with chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley.