What Is So Special About the Oxtail?

The special thing about the oxtail is the special texture of its meat. The oxtail is still behind the tail piece of the cattle. In addition to caudal vertebrae and muscle meat, it consists mainly of connective tissue. The oxtail has a similar structure to the calf of cattle, i.e. the lower legs of the front and hind legs.

Because of its high connective tissue content, oxtail is usually just stewed or boiled. Classic dishes made from the tail of the beef are soups such as oxtail soup or clear oxtail soup, seasoned meat, stuffed oxtail or sauces.

To prepare oxtail, the first step is to divide it into individual pieces. These are cut off between the vertebrae of the oxtail. For an intensive aroma of the prepared food, the meat is first seared. This creates roasted aromas that flow into the dish as a natural seasoning. After searing, the meat is braised or boiled for several hours until tender. Only then can the bone be easily removed from the oxtail.

During the cooking process, the connective tissue of the tail turns into soft gelatin. The collagen contained in the gelatin gives the liquid that oozes out of the oxtail during the stewing or cooking process a firmer texture and richer flavor.