Oxtails - 44 Years Down, 44 Years to Go

Last night, I made oxtails.  Similar to other cuts on this year's quest, I had neither cooked oxtails before last night nor had I ever ate them prior to last night.  I had seen them on menus, and deftly avoided them.  I am not averse to trying new things, but if I'm looking at a menu, I tend to gravitate to what sounds good.  And oxtails?  Well, they just don't sound good.  I googled oxtails yesterday to understand exactly what it was that I was about to eat.  Well, although they aren't truly the tails of oxen, they are the tails of the cow.  Yep, the tails of the cow.  I was truly spooked out.

I found a recipe by a reputable famous chef, a recipe which had a 5 star rating.  But, all the reviewers were people who are big fans of oxtails, and who were comparing this recipe to other oxtail recipes.  So, at least I felt good in that if I was going to enjoy this meal, I chose the right recipe to use.  But, the reviewers weren't like me, people who had never tried them.  They were fans.  And so I began.

Salt and pepper on them.  Browned them in a Dutch oven.  Set them aside and in sequence, added carrots, onions, celery, leeks, green onions, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, flour, beer, allspice and beef broth.  Returned the oxtails to the Dutch oven and covered/simmered for a little over two hours.  Served them with mashed potatoes, and took my first bite of oxtail in 44 years.

I must admit, I enjoyed avoiding oxtails for 44 years.  And I will enjoy avoiding them for the next 44 years.  On my 88th birthday, I hereby commit to eating oxtails.  And I am not looking forward to it.

Please note:  These statements are NOT an indictment on the quality of the meat nor the quality of the recipe.  Rather, it's a texture/gamey thing beyond which I couldn't get.  But at least I tried them!

19 down, 40 to go!