I need a tried and tested 'Oxtail Soup' Recipe...

[Sojourn]

Hi all,

I always make the same oxtail casserole, Rhian (the other half) wants me to make a 'heinz' style soup. Any ideas?

Regards,

Dave

[wheels]

You may be able to deconstruct the ingredients:

Water, Concentrated Tomato Puree, Beef (4%), Wheat Flour, Cornflour, Carrots, Modified Cornflour, Oxtails (1%), Sugar, Onion Powder, Yeast Extracts (contains Barley), Flavouring, Colour - Plain Caramel, Salt, Red Wine, Herb Extracts, Spice Extracts, Garlic Salt.

Salt is 0.6g per 100g of product.

So:

Water & Concentrated Tomato Puree must make up at least (and probably quite a bit more than 71%

Beef (4%), Wheat Flour, Cornflour, Carrots, Modified Cornflour, are <4% but >1%

Oxtails (1%), Sugar, Onion Powder, Yeast Extracts (contains Barley), Flavouring, Colour - Plain Caramel, are <1% but >0.6%

Salt (0.6%) , Red Wine, Herb Extracts, Spice Extracts, Garlic Salt are all <=0.6%

We also know that the 0.6% for salt should probably be lower as there will be sodium in the garlic salt.

From http://www.ocado.com/webshop/product/Heinz-Oxtail-Soup/13441011?parentContainer=%7C3%7C5319%7C47%7C3853

Only 1% oxtail!!

Phil

[Sojourn]

Crikey!, 1% oxtail! if I followed this recipe I would end up with a couple of hundred kilos of soup...a couple of hundred kilos of delicious oxtail soup...mmmm modified cornflour

Maybe I will look for a non heinz recipe and keep the heinz magic in the tin

[saucisson]

Sounds to me they have a pet Ox installed at the end of the production line and they let it dip its tail into each can just before sealing it

Dave

[wheels]

Baxter's is similar:

Water, Carrots, Potatoes, Wheatflour, Beef (3%), Concentrated Tomato Paste, Onions, Modified Cornflour, Cooked Oxtail Meat (1%), Sherry, Salt, Vegetable Oil, Herbs and Spices, Sugar, Yeast Extract, Dried Onions, Malt Vinegar from Barley, Colour (Ammonia Caramel), Molasses, Dried Herbs, Tamarind Paste, Dried Garlic, Beef Extract, Lemon Oil.

Phil

[saucisson]

Maybe they share the same Ox...

Dave

[Pat Anderson]

Well, I don't know about duplicating some English product, but we do a killer Oxtail Ragout in a pressure cooker.

3 lbs oxtails
1 large onion chopped
2 large garlic cloves minced
2 stalks celery chopped
12 oz Guiness Stout
1.5 cups beef stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dry mustard
4 sprigs fresh parsley
2 large carrots, cut in chunks
salt to taste

Brown the oxtails in the pressure cooker pan in a couple of tablespoons of oil, and remove from pan. Saute onions and garlic in pan. Make sure there is nothing sticking to bottom of pan. Put oxtails back in and add all other ingredients except carrots. Pressure cook on high pressure for 55 minutes (yes that is right - 55 minutes). Quick release pressure. Refrigerate overnight, removed congealed fat from top. Before serving add carrots and pressure cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. You may need to thin the gravy with 1/2 cup water. Salt to taste before serving.

Enjoy!

[Sojourn]

Sounds to me they have a pet Ox installed at the end of the production line and they let it dip its tail into each can just before sealing it

Dave

Maybe they share the same Ox...

Dave

HEHEHE, you madman, this is the first thing 'meat' related that has made my missus smile for ages!!! (she normally frowns at me whnever I laugh about something someone posts here!)

Pat,

Thanks for the recipe, it looks just like what I'm after, love the fact it has mustard powder in it - I will have to adjust the cooking time to work with my slow cooker as I no longer have a pressure cooker - any ideas on times for my slow cooker? I was thinking about 6hrs on medium?

Have you ever used red wine instead of guiness?

Regards,

Dave

[Greyham]

Making an oxtail soup used to an economical soup now though however, it is not. In deed it is more of a luxury item, esp if done well.
As a chef i would take two days to create such a dish not rushing any part of the process.
first stage:
Beef bones are often free so be sure to get two-three marrow bones as well as ribs or other. roughyl about 3-4 kilos.
/brown bones in oven along with mirapoix of onions,celery,carrot, leek.
Place all in large stock pot and add aromatices, fresh thyme 6-7 bay leaves, peppercorns, parsley stalks.
Top up with cold water and bring to a simmer. Cook at a low simmer for 12 hours at least.
After twelve hours remove all bones and veg etc and reduce stock by one half to concentrate flavour.

stage two:
Take oxtail and brown in oven along with more mirapoix of veg same as first stage.
Saute of onions and carrots in duck fat or lard, add bones and veg followed by the beef stock and a bottle of claret for depth. add aromatics and simmer for three to four hours. Remove all meat and veg reserving only the meat.
stage 3. In a suitable pan melt 2-3 ounces of butter until slightly nutty. Add same amount of flour and cook out until lightly brown. begin adding the stock until all added and thickening. Now
Add the shredded oxtail and season

[wheels]

'ere that's one o' them Gordon Blue type recipes ain't it Greyham!

It sounds great!

Now, just for devilment, I'm going to suggest that the 'long slow cooking' bits could be done in a pressure cooker, and for those who don't run to claret (Chateau Petrus would be nice if you're thinking of buying me a belated Christmas pressy), you could substitute a favourite real ale or cider.

It won't have the class of Greyham's but it should still be superb.

Blimey, I've just noticed the price of Oxtail, which TV chef's been promoting this then, for the price to rocket?

Phil

[Sojourn]

Thanks for the recipe Greyham, I have quite a bit of oxtail so I will scale down your recipe and give a go after I try Pat's recipe. I will use a Rioja instead of a claret though

Phil, the price has been high for a while now, my local farm does a cracking oxtail (the ones I have at the moment is actually heifer-tail)
I don't know who's been promoting it or maybe it is just that as food is becoming more fashionable people are actually remembering how good certain foodstuffs are ie oxtail (and gurnard, have you seen the price recently?)

Regards,

Dave

[Greyham]

BSC is mainly to blame for the rise in prices not celeb chefs.

[saucisson]

Where have you people been...

The only way to eat oxtail is on a bed of samphire, supported from below by a slice of black pudding, then finished off with a scallop on top.

Dave

[wheels]

Fresh Samphire in December - where you livin' Dave?

[saucisson]

Cloud Cuckoo Land

I don't recall moving recently

Dave