Scottish Oxtail Soup Recipes

Steps:

• 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.

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown oxtails in oil over medium heat. Remove from pan; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. , Add carrots and onion to dripping, cook and stir until just softened, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Transfer vegetable mixture to slow cooker. Add tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, salt, oregano, thyme and pepper; stir to combine. , Cook, covered, on low 8 hours. Add cabbage, cook until cabbage is tender and meat pulls away easily from bones, about 2 hours longer. Remove oxtails; set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bones; discard bones and shred meat. Return meat to soup. Discard bay leaves., Freeze option: Freeze cooled stew in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add broth if necessary.

Steps:

• In a 4-quart Dutch Oven brown oxtail and onion in hot oil for several minutes.
• Add water, salt and peppercorns; simmer uncovered for about 2 hours.
• Cover and continue to simmer for 3 additional hours.
• Add the parsley, carrots, celery, bay leaf, tomatoes, and thyme; continue simmering for 30 minutes longer or until the vegetables are tender.
• Strain stock and refrigerate for an hour or more.
• In a blender puree the edible meat and vegetables and reserve.
• Remove fat from top of stock and reheat.
• In a large, dry frypan brown flour over high heat.
• Cool slightly.
• Add the butter or margarine, blend.
• A little at a time, add the stock and vegetables.
• Correct seasoning and add madeira just before serving.

Steps:

• Melt butter, add pieces of tail in a large stockpot.
• When the meat begins to brown, add onion.
• When onion is a deep gold, add stock, carrot, celery, tomatoes, wine and herbs tied securely in a cheesecloth bag.
• Season with remaining ingredients and simmer until meat is very tender, about 3 hours.
• Remove herbs.
• Separate meat of the oxtail from the bones; discard bones.
• Reheat soup and serve with a little of the meat in each bowl.

Steps:

• Up to two days ahead, tip the oxtail into a bowl and season with a little salt. Tie the thyme sprigs, bay leaves and parsley stalks together and put in the bowl with the peppercorns and star anise. Pour over the wine, then cover and chill for up to 48 hrs.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 4. Lift the oxtail out of the marinade, reserving the mixture. Heat a drizzle of the oil in a large casserole pan and, in batches if needed, brown the oxtail. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add another drizzle of oil and cook the carrots, onion, celery and garlic until just starting to brown. Stir in the flour and ketchup and cook until you have a thick paste. Pour over the reserved marinade and simmer for 1 min. Nestle the oxtail back in the pan and pour over as much stock as you can, chilling any extra to use later. Bring everything to a gentle boil, scoop off any froth then cover and place in the oven for 3 hrs 30 mins, stirring once or twice until the meat is very tender.
• Remove the soup from the oven and leave to cool slightly, then lift the oxtail from the broth and shred the meat using two forks. Discard the bones and transfer the meat to a bowl. Sieve the liquid into another bowl, then cover and chill overnight.
• Remove and discard any fat that has solidified on top of the soup. Tip the broth into a saucepan and simmer until silky, adding more stock if the broth is too thick. Stir through the shredded meat until warmed through. Season to taste, then ladle into bowls and scatter over some parsley leaves, if you like.