Oxtail Soup

Contrary to what I'd heard, oxtails are not cheap! $5.99 a pound at the butcher! The recipe I wanted to make called for 4 pounds! So I bought one pound and decided to make the soup anyway. I made the full recipe with the exception of the one pound of oxtails and it made a nice thin but tasty soup that would be lovely with a loaf of crusty french bread and some butter.

The original recipe is from The Slow Cooker Ready & Waiting Cookbook by Rick Rodgers. I left out some of the ingredients in order to stick within the budget.

Jamaican Oxtail Soup Sans Argent

1 pound oxtails
fresh ground black pepper
2 medium potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds
1 fresh hot green chile pepper (such as jalapeno), seeded and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
5 cups water
1 bay leaf

1. Broil oxtails, turning once, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the oxtails to a plate and season with fresh pepper.

2. In a 5-quart slow cooker, layer the potatoes, onion, carrots, chile pepper, and garlic, in that order. Sprinkle with oregano, allspice and 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns. Arrange the oxtails on top of the vegetables. Pour in the water and add the bay leaf.

3. Cover and slow-cook until the oxtails are very tender, 9 to 11 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high. The meat will be falling off the bone and the broth is fatty but very tasty and filling.