15 Best Winter Soups #10

#10. Oxtail Soup an Old School British Recipe

Servings

Equipment

28cm (11") frying pan or skillet (not nonstick)
Large saucepan or Dutch oven (3.5 litre / 3 quart capacity)
Blender or immersion blender
Knife and chopping board

Ingredients

1 Kg (35oz) oxtail
1 Tbsp cooking oil
200g (1⅓ Cup) onion
100g (⅔ Cup) carrot
50g (⅓ Cup) celery
3 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp tomato ketchup
50 ml (3 Tbsp + 1 Tsp) Worcestershire sauce
300ml (1¼ Cup) red wine
1.5 Litres (1½ Quarts) beef stock
10 whole peppercorns
Salt, to your judgement
1½ Tbsp plain flour

Instructions

Season the oxtail generously with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a 28cm (11") frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Once hot, fry the oxtail until it gets a nice colour on all sides. Remove and place in a saucepan with a 3.5 litre (3 quart) capacity.
Roughly chop the onion, carrot, and celery into 1-2cm (½-¾") dice.
Add the chopped vegetables to the pan that was used to sear the oxtail and cook for 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan occasionally.
Pour in the Worcestershire sauce and reduce to almost nothing, stirring occasionally.
Pour in the red wine and reduce by half, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the tomato ketchup and then pour over the oxtail.
Add the bay leaves, thyme, and peppercorns.
Add the beef stock and bring to a simmer on low heat for 3-4 hours. After 10 minutes, taste and add salt as required.
Once the soup has simmered and the beef is tender, strain the soup.
Separate the oxtail from the vegetables and discard the veggies. Cover the liquid and meat in separate bowls and let them cool.
Refrigerate overnight.
Around 20 minutes before serving, skim any fatty deposits from the top of the soup. The soup should be set like jelly.
Remove around two-thirds of the cloudy sediment.
Gently warm the remaining jellified broth over medium heat.
Pull the meat from the bones and shred it with your fingers.
When the soup is hot and liquid, remove around 125ml (half a cup) and add it to the flour.
Whisk to form a smooth slurry.
Pour the slurry into the soup while whisking.
Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the shredded beef and allow it to gently warm through for 4-5 minutes.