I am very lucky that Cliff and I like many of the same foods. I prepare our food the way I like it, and he rarely complains. I can’t count how many times I have told him how glad I am that he likes his food the way I make it. We both like pepperoni and garlic on our pizza. We both like roasted brussel sprouts. We both like our mashed potatoes with lumps. We both like cheese platters for dinner. We both like just about all of our food smothered in mushrooms-pizza, steak, hamburgers, chicken, risotto-we want it with mushrooms! Overall, he is used to my cooking and prefers my way over other people’s. Sure, there are some things I eat that he won’t touch. For instance: lemon curd, nutella or caramel sauce by the spoonful; straight out of the jar. But that’s ok with me. It just means more lemon curd, nutella, and caramel sauce for me. It is really a win-win situation for us both.
But just because he likes most of the foods I eat does not mean that I like all the foods he likes. It has taken me a long time to admit it but I AM a picky eater. There are foods I will not try just because of the name. For instance: ox tail soup. I just cannot eat something called ox tail soup. G-rosss!! But just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean others won’t. And because I love my husband and he loves ox tail soup, I make it for him! Aren’t I a good wife? Granted, I only make it once, maybe twice a year, but I make it!
Since I do not eat this soup, I asked Cliff to tell me what he likes about it. He said that the meat is very tender and makes the soup broth very flavorful. This was a recipe that he enjoyed as a child and for our wedding shower we were gifted with the recipe. I will warn you though; this makes A LOT of soup! So if you are not sure about it maybe halve the recipe. Cliff says I am missing out by not eating this soup. If you give it a try let me know what you think. Maybe if more people eat it I will give it a try. Maybe, no guarantees!
Here is what you'll need
Brown the ox tails in butter
Once they are brown add them to the soup pot
Add 6 quarts of water and allow to simmer for 3 hours
Add the beef bullion
And the tomatoes, celery and onions. Simmer 1 more hour.
Meanwhile, cook the noodles
Fish out all the oxtail bones. Return the vegetables and meat to the soup pot.
Remove from heat and add the noodles to the pot
If not for yourself, then make it for your husband!
Ingredients
2 ½ to 3 pounds lean ox tails
3 Tablespoons butter
6 Quarts water
3 Teaspoons beef bullion
2 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, sliced
1 package Kluski noodles
Salt and Pepper to taste
Serves: A lot!
Directions
Remove excess fat from ox tails. Brown the ox tails in butter, and place in large soup pot. Add 6 quarts of water. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 3 hours. Skim foam. Add 3 teaspoons of beef bullion, tomatoes, onion, and celery. Simmer 1 more hour. While the soup is simmering cook the kluski noodles according to the directions on the package. I like to cook them al dente. While the noodles are cooking, remove the ox tail bones from the soup. The meat should be falling off the bones by now. If there is still meat on the bones remove the meat and add it back to the soup. It would be a good idea to count how many ox tails you put in the soup so that you can be sure you have removed all the bones. Season with salt and pepper. Add the noodles to the soup just before serving. If you make this the night before you can skim the fat off before re-heating.
Source: Cliff’s Grandma
