Rich broth Beef Oxtail Beer Braised soup is the perfect recipe for those chilled days when a comforting soup cooked low and slow, is needed.
Yes Oxtail Is Tail Of Cattle!
Good grief, the first time I heard of a Chinese oxtail soup, I thought it was just a fancy way of giving the soup a fun name for a beef soup.
Wow, was I wrong!
Oxtail is exactly that; beef tails from the tail of the cow (once called ox), and wow does it make for a fabulous beef stock!
Although making Bone Broth, from any cut of meat, doesn’t have the high count of protein in it, it does have the flavor that gets released from the bone, cartilage, fat and marrow.
So, I was totally on board to create my own oxtail recipe, whether for a gentle simmer soup or an oxtail stew.
Of course, slow cooking is perfect for the time of year when smells and steam coming for the kitchen make a cold winter day, feel warm.
Gather Simple Ingredients For Hearty Soups
Obviously, we each have our favorite ingredients we like to toss into a soup, and they can be anything from leftovers to homegrown veggies and herbs we grew back in the summer months and tucked away for soup season.
Probably one of my all time favorite ‘simple ingredients’ soups to make, is my Day After Thanksgiving Turkey Leftover Soup!
Why? Because I worked so hard on every delicious aspect of the annual Thanksgiving meal, now with lots of leftovers, which on the day-after, makes them simple ingredients, because they are already ready!
Dried Fresh Herbs From My Garden
To dry or not to dry; that is the question!
If you’ve been with me for awhile, you already know I love to plant lots of Herbs and Edible Flowers in the summertime, and grow a select variety in my small (unheated) greenhouse in the winter.
I’ve taken to extracting the essence from herbs and flowers for medicinal purposes as well as flavor enhancers to my recipes.
Dabbled in smoking and dehydrating veggies and herbs, as you will have fun with if you try my “Make Your Own Smoked Paprika“!
However fresh versus dried herbs are a matter of taste versus practicality.
Rich Flavors For A Beef Broth Soup
When herbs are used fresh, their flavor is fresh and bright having still retained some of their natural moisture and oils.
Herbs that are dried, take on a deeper, more intense flavor and they are a wonderful way to make those fresh herbs you gave such TLC all summer, last in jars in your pantry all winter.
Since I created this recipe in the month of November, my pantry is now beautifully stocked with dried herbs I prepared myself, from my summer harvest.
Therefore, dried herbs are what I will be using to make this beef oxtail soup abundant with flavor.
Root Vegetables For A Slow Simmer Soup
While above ground veggies are great in a hearty stew or soup, they don’t require lot of time in the soup pot.
For a homemade oxtail soup, we want the soup to cook low and slow, which is the best way to tenderize a very cheap cut of meat, which is what oxtail meat is.
Whether you choose to use a Dutch oven, a pressure cooker, instant pot or simply a big ole soup pot on top the stove, root vegetable are perfect for this type of cooking.
Cooking root vegetables release flavor, nutrients and don’t become limp and soggy when cooking for a long time over low heat, like fresh above ground veggies will.
Braising Root Vegetables In A Beef Soup
The choice for root vegetables is up to you, and there is much to choose from:
- Potatoes – while there are several types of potatoes to choose from, they each bring about different results. Russet potatoes are low in moisture and will soak up the liquid and lose their shape, while thin skin potatoes hold up better because their moisture content is high.
- Beets – choosing to use red beets or golden beets in soups or stews is really a matter of color rather than taste. Beets bring an earthy addition to a soup stock and they hold up well in a slow braised soup.
- Rutabaga – while a rutabaga may look much like a potato when peeled, it is really a cross between a turnip and a cabbage, less sweet than carrot and their firm texture holds together well when braised or slow simmered.
- Turnips – since the best tasting turnips are the smaller turnips, they can be quickly peeled, quartered and dropped into the braising liquid of any soup for an added measure of nutrients and less calories than potatoes.
- Carrots – what’s not to love about these multi-colored roots! Great for sweet or savory dishes, carrots bring the color, stability and flavor to any soup or stew recipe.
- And let’s not forget the amazing flavors that will contribute to our soup coming from those large yellow onions and clusters of garlic, both of which are roots!
Dark Beers Light Beers And Fancy Label Beers For Our Soup
Cooking with beer, especially when added as part of the cooking liquid, adds a different dimension to a beef broth, then red wine brings to the broth.
Thinking of the origin of the ingredients in both beer and wine, the grain and hop salty-ish flavor that beer adds to a meat broth, makes for a rich sauce, with less fruity undertones than wine brings to the recipe.
Beer Braised Soups
Flavors and the color of beer sure has changed since I was first old enough to drink beer, or maybe my expose was simply limited.
Often I simply added a light golden beer to a braising liquid, or used it in my beer batter, which worked great though the flavor was faint.
Later, after a trip to England, I began cooking with Guinness, a deep dark malty flavored beer, which added richness to a Beef Pub Pie I make and yet an almost sweet dark molasses flavor to a Spiced Cake I make.
This time, for today’s recipe, I went with an Autumn amber colored beer actually called Octoberfest which was the perfect choice between a dark or light ale.
What Does It Mean To ‘Braise’?
There is a two-step process involved when we braise, steps you probably already do but just never put a name to it.
This braised soup uses those two steps; searing, browning or lightly frying the outside of meats, then stewing them in a some type of liquid in a secure lid soup or stewing pot.
In this beer braised soup, beer along with the juices of the veggies become the braising liquid the meat will slow cook in, therefore tenderizing what is commonly thought of as inexpensive cuts of meat.
Equipment Needed
- Large soup or stewing pot with a lid – my favorite is always this heavy cast iron Dutch oven which is perfect for so many types of stovetop cooking.
- Cutting board and sharp knife
- Tongs
- Measuring Cup and Spoons
- Vegetable peeler
- Stovetop
Ingredients Needed
- Oxtails
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Small chili or poblano peppers
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Celery
- Dried Rosemary
- Dried Marjoram
- Amber Beer
- Boiling water
- Worcestershire sauce
- Carrots
- Beetroots
What To Serve With Beef Oxtail Beer Braised Soup
Well for starters, how about a Cheesy Beer Biscuit! These biscuits are fast and easy to make while the soup is simmering slowly in its luscious braising liquid, you’ve already got the beer room temperature, so lets give these a try too!
If you want a more elaborate Mediterranean addition to this rustic soup, and you like making an easy yeast bread, you might love my Olive and Rosemary Bread, again, you’ve already got some beautifully dried (not dried out), rosemary from this recipe to use in the bread.
Or, how about a simple Moroccan Rice medley with dried fruits in this very exotic tasting rice dish!
You’ve got choices and options!
Beef Oxtail Beer Braised Soup
Equipment
- large soup or stewing pot with lid
Ingredients
- 4 lbs Oxtails about eight 3-inch segments
- Kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 3 Small chili or poblano peppers rough chopped
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 1 Large yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 cup Celery finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Dried Rosemary
- 1 tbsp Dried Marjoram
- 12 oz Amber beer
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups Carrots peeled and rough chopped
- 1 1/2 cups Beetroots peeled and rough chopped
Instructions
- Season beef oxtails by rubbing plenty of salt into both sides of the meat a sprinkle of pepper, rosemary, marjoram and a drizzle of olive oil and allow to sit out at room temperature for an hour.
- On the stovetop, over medium heat in a very large skillet, preferably cast iron, or a Dutch oven, add the olive oil, garlic and chopped onion along with a little salt, and cook until golden brown.Lay the seasoned oxtail pieces, taking care to include all the seasoning, on the bottom of the pot to sear the fat on the meat turning the browned oxtail over to do the other side.
- Quickly layer the celery, chili peppers, carrots and beetroots over the meat and pour in the beer. Place the lid on and wait for the liquid to begin to simmer, about 3-minutes.
- Once the liquid bubbles, add the Worcestershire sauce and boiling water. Give a gentle stir with a slotted spoon, replace the lid and turn down the heat to medium low, just enough heat to develop a low simmer. Allow to braise for 1-hour, which will make for tender meat and rich oxtail stock.
- The Braised Oxtail Soup is now ready to serve. For a complete meal, a crusty loaf of French bread, rice or a creamy polenta can be served along with the soup.
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