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It’s hearty. It’s filling. It’s just plain, downright delicious, y’all!
Okay. So I call this Oxtail Soup. It could just as easily be called Oxtail Stew. So what’s the difference?
If you want to get “technical”, probably the most important difference between soup and stew is the thickness of the broth or gravy. Soups are typically thin while stews are usually thick. Stews are pretty much “hearty soups,” often with meats and vegetables, typically potatoes. Soups probably take less time to prepare than stews and may be served cold as well as hot, depending upon the type. I’ve never encountered a cold stew, at least not an intentionally-served-cold stew.
But overall, does it really matter? I’ll take either one, or their cousin–gumbo, whatever they’re called.
Not that we have that all cleared up, let’s talk about oxtails. They’re not really tails from oxen these days. Or, at least not around these parts. So we’re talking beef here.
It can be hard to find oxtails these days. I realize there are only so many slices you can get from one cow’s tail, and so I’m prone to pick up packages of them whenever I can find them in the market. They freeze quite well. And, they aren’t particularly cheap. But they give a depth of flavor that just can’t be beat.
Arkansas ranks in the top 12 in the nation for calf production with a cattle inventory that numbers in the millions. About 98 percent of soymeal meal is used as animal feed, with 12 percent used to feed beef cattle and 9 percent to dairy cattle. G. Arkansas ranks 4th in the nation for soybean usage for animal agriculture. (United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Agricultural Statistics 2013)
Soy provides a high-quality source of protein with very little saturated fat. This Oxtail Soup utilizes soy in four distinct ingredients: beef, vegetable oil, soy sauce and edamame, and it’s that protein that makes you feel full and satisfied.
Making this soup is a 2-day affair. By preparing the broth a day ahead, you are able to remove much of the fat thereby decreasing the overall calorie intake. But, you don’t sacrifice any of the flavor by doing that. I really like using the Instant Pot to prepare the broth. Not only does it take much less time, the meat comes out very tender and the flavor is intensified since none of the moisture evaporates.
Notes
IMPORTANT: For all pressure cooking programs, the total amount of food and liquid should never pass 2/3 of the inner pot capacity. For non-pressure cooking programs (slow cook etc), do not fill pass the MAX line.
Ingredients
Broth
- 2-3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 pounds trimmed oxtails
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 5-inch stalk of rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 32-ounce carton beef stock
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
Soup
- 2 cups halved baby potatoes
- 2 stalks celery sliced
- 3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups frozen edamame
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Day 1 Making the Broth
- Flour both sides of each oxtail and set aside.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté. Add vegetable oil and heat. Brown oxtails on all sides.
- Remove oxtails to paper towels to rest while sautéing garlic, pepper, salt, paprika , rosemary, bay leaf, onion and celery until tender.
- Replace oxtails to Instant Pot; add beef stock and water.
- Stir in Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce.
- Reset Instant Pot to High Pressure for 40 minutes. Allow pressure to come down naturally.
- Remove oxtails from broth and set aside to cool. Strain broth through a piece of cheesecloth.
- Place strained broth in the refrigerator overnight to cool. Remove meat from the bones and place in a zipper bag; refrigerate.
- Place the strained vegetables and bones in the garbage.
Day 1 Making the Soup
- The next day, remove congealed fat from the broth and return to Instant Pot.
- Stir in reserved meat, baby potatoes, sliced celery and sliced carrots; add additional broth or water as needed.
- Set Instant Pot to Soup/Stew and cook for 15 minutes. Slowly release pressure.
- Stir in edamame and simmer until all vegetables are tender.
- Set Instant Pot on warm until serving.
- Garnish with chopped parsley at serving.
