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Oxtail soup is a popular dish made from the tail of a cow, boiled or simmered for a long time until tender. It has various versions in Asian, European, and South American countries, with the French version possibly originating during the French Revolution. The Chinese version includes spices like star anise and ginger, while the American version may have been created by African slaves. The soup is typically seasoned with garlic, onion, pepper, and vegetables like carrots and potatoes.
An oxtail soup is a thick bowl of soup that contains the tail of a cattle or cow as the main ingredient, rather than an ox, as the name suggests. The soup does not use any other cuts of meat or other types of meat to flavor it. Cooking the soup can take a long time, as the gelatinous tail requires a long period of boiling or simmering to soften it. Oxtail soup is so popular and tasty that there are many versions of it in some Asian, European and South American countries. Some of the more popular versions would be Chinese, French and British oxtail soups.
There is some uncertainty regarding the origin of oxtail soup, but some accounts state that the French version of the soup was created during the French Revolution when political turmoil resulted in widespread poverty felt by the French people, including nobles and aristocrats. During the period, the tails were not removed from hides that were sent to tanneries from slaughterhouses. One day, a French nobleman, probably looking for cheap food, asked for a discarded tail and started a food trend by making soup out of it. Tanneries took advantage of the dish’s popularity by selling the tail, rather than giving it away for free. The soup’s popularity soon spread to England as many French people emigrated there.
In the United States, oxtail soup was likely created when slavery was rampant. Enterprising African slaves addressed their lack of wealth by creating dishes made from discarded animal parts deemed “useless,” such as tongue, intestines, ears, and tails. As for the Chinese version of the soup, using a cow’s tail for the dish might not be so unexpected, as the Chinese have a long tradition of not wasting anything that might still be useful.
Oxtails are usually available at meat shops, sold by the pound and come already pre-cut into large chunks. Cooking oxtail soup usually begins with boiling the oxtail until tender, along with garlic, onion, and pepper for seasoning. Other spices include star anise and ginger, especially if the Chinese version is being cooked. An indicator that oxtails are tender enough is when the meat can be stripped off the bone without much effort.
Once the oxen are tender, sliced vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, cabbage and celery stalks are added to the pot. Other ingredients may include mushrooms, leeks and parsley. Some recipes also use a little tomato paste and cooking wine to give the soup more flavor and a richer texture. The oxtail soup is best served hot.
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