Oxtail
Bos taurus · Meat
Top 10 pairings
Oxtail is the skinned tail of cattle (Bos taurus), sold as cross-cut bony segments of dark, collagen-rich meat ringed around a marrow-filled vertebra. Tough and sinewy raw, it rewards long, slow braising with silky, gelatinous, fall-apart meat and a deeply savoury, body-rich broth, the backbone of soups and stews from the Caribbean to Korea.
Picking a good onedrag
Freshly cut, cherry-red, firmOff: tacky, slimy, smelling wrong
Counter freshEveryday bestSear, roast or braise, but mince needs 160°F (71°C). Pregnant? Cook all meat through.
ColourRed, a brownish cast under lights
Touch the surfaceMoist and clean, still not sticky
SmellMild, clean, faintly meaty
These cues are Beef's, and hold across its cuts; where this one differs, its own page says so.