My Mom (Betty Lou) used to make ox tail soup that tasted delicious in cold weather. (Kathy T.)
“With one spoonful of her ox-tail soup Tita instantly recalls the best time of her life, her youth in the kitchen with Nacha, where she enjoyed many foods and Nacha’s love. Crying with Chencha, Tita remembers and recounts the recipe for the soup–the first recipe she has been able to remember since her breakdown.” Like Water for Chocolate.
Buy two pounds of oxtail, that has been cut into about 2 inch pieces.
Brown the ox tail pieces in a skillet with several tablespoons of oil, until brown.
Put browned ox tail pieces in a soup pot, with chopped onion or leek. Add cloves if desired. add water to cover meat.
Cover pot tightly. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 3 hours.
Take out oxtail pieces and chill, chill the stock overnight. Remove fat and reserve. Strain stock to remove onion and cloves if added.
Chop veggies in small size pieces.
Saute remaining vegetables in skillet with some of the reserved fat. For a lighter version, use a small amount of olive oil. Add stock and lemon slice and bring to a boil, then simmer 20-30 minutes.
Remove the oxtail meat from the bones and reserve. Remove lemon slice and add tomato and oxtail pieces, simmer for 20-30 additional minutes. Makes 2 ½ quarts.
