Oxtail and Barley Soup Recipe
- 3 1/2 pounds meaty oxtails, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 9 cups water
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 small turnip, peeled and cut into medium dice
- 1 medium carrot, medium dice
- 1/2 medium white onion, medium dice
- 1/3 cup pearl barley
- 1 medium bay leaf
- Pat oxtails dry with a paper towel and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat vegetable oil over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid.
- When oil shimmers, add oxtail pieces (without overcrowdingyou will need to do this in batches) and cook until browned, about 5 minutes per side.
- Remove to a plate.
- Wipe any excess oil from the pot and return it to the stove over medium heat.
- Deglaze the pot by adding the wine and using a spatula to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom to incorporate into the sauce.
- Reduce wine until the pot is almost dry, about 3 minutes.
- Add water and reserved oxtails along with any accumulated juices and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low, partially cover, and gently simmer until oxtail meat is tender and separating from the bones, about 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
- Check periodically and adjust the heat so the liquid does not boil.
- Remove oxtails to a plate and, when cool enough to handle, separate the meat from the bones and tear it into bite-size pieces.
- Use a fat separator to remove the fat from the broth.
- (Alternatively, discard the bones and refrigerate the meat.
- Let the broth cool, then refrigerate overnight or until the fat solidifies on the surface.
- Once the fat has formed a hard layer, scrape it off and discard.)
- Melt butter over medium heat in a large pot.
- When it foams, add turnip, carrot, and onion.
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Cook until onion has softened, about 12 minutes.
- Add reserved oxtail meat and broth, barley, and bay leaf.
- Season with salt.
- Simmer over medium heat until vegetables just give when pierced with a fork and barley is tender, about 30 minutes.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
meaty oxtails, vegetable oil, red wine, water, unsalted butter, carrot, white onion, pearl barley, bay leaf
Taken from www.chowhound.com/recipes/oxtail-and-barley-soup-11552 (may not work)