Scottish Oxtail Soup, found on the web years ago...

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Scottish Oxtail Soup

3 hours 20 min prep
4-6 servings


1 oxtail, cut into pieces, surplus fat removed
2 onions, chopped (I recommend sweet onions)
1 large carrot, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 ounce butter (or meat dripping)
36 ounces beef stock
4 ounces tomato juice
1 tablespoon plain flour
3 tablespoons port wine

spice bag :

1 bay leaf
3 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs parsley (including stalks)
1 stalk celery, with leaves
2 whole green onions


To make the spice bag, place 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs thyme, 4 large sprigs parsley (including stalks), one 4-inch piece celery stalked with leaves, and two whole green onions in the center of a square of double thickness cheesecloth.

Fold up the sides of the cheesecloth and tie off the top very tightly to make a spice bag.
(Equivalent dry herbs may be substituted).

Fry the oxtail pieces and the vegetables in the fat for a few minutes until lightly browned.

Remove from heat.

Pour the beef stock into a saucepan and add the fried oxtail and vegetables as well as the spice bag.

Bring to the boil, and then transfer to a crockpot and cook on high for 1½- 2 hours (or longer if necessary) until the meat is tender.

Strain the stock, cut all the meat (in small pieces) from the bones and then return the stock and meat to the pan.

Bring to the boil.

Puree.

Mix the flour and port together and add to the soup.

Simmer for 5 minutes before serving.

[Patch]

That brings back memories! I can't remember when I saw Ox-tail in the meat case. When I was a child I was afraid the other kids would find out some of the things we ate. Since Dad was a butcher we had the "good" stuff too. My paternal Grandmother (Co. Kerry) made a breakfast item called "Ghetta". I am guessing it is Irish though it could be from my Grandfathers Scot ancestry. It was cornmeal and or oatmeal,, pork, onion and probably other things placed in a pan and left to "set up." Then it was sliced and fried. I would like to find that recipe They provided my exposure to Haggis at about 6 years of age.

Slàinte,

Patch

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I recently came across oxtail again at my local butcher. I made this and am in heaven, I forgot how good it is.