While trying to use up frozen oxtails I invented this soup
- Carbohydrate 43.8236886816045 g
- Cholesterol 36.9862375020288 mg
- Fat 8.13112902027608 g
- Fiber 15.688691254466 g
- Protein 43.4472180419916 g
- Saturated Fat 0.998930625763193 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1004g)
- Sodium 2781.48241769848 mg
- Sugar 28.1349974271385 g
- Trans Fat 4.87669229921518 g
- Calories 424 calories
Step-by-step
- Toss the oxtails and the chicken stock in crockpot on high for 4 hours.
- Let cool enough to clean the bones and chop the meat, defat and reserve the stock.
- Chop onion and soften in olive oil.
- Add lentils, tomatoes and cook per their instruction on package with left over cooking liquid and beef stock.
- For the last 10 minutes of cooking time add the cauliflower.
- When lentils are done add in the oxtail meat and serve.
- Salt and pepper to taste, a dash of lemon juice is good too.
- I bet a parmesan rind cooking with the lentils would taste great but add calories.
Leaving excess fat on oxtails ruins the mouthfeel of a long-simmered broth by creating an oily slick on the surface rather than a silky emulsion. Gelatin requires hours of moist heat at temperatures near a gentle simmer to melt collagen into gelatin, which gives the broth body. Proper preparation transforms tough cuts into tender morsels while building a rich base.
- Simmer the oxtails in chicken stock for four hours in a slow cooker until the meat yields easily to fork pressure.
- Skim the rendered fat from the reserved cooking liquid after chilling it briefly to solidify the lipids.
- Add the chopped cauliflower strictly during the final ten minutes of lentil simmering to prevent the florets from turning to mush.
- Substitute green or brown lentils interchangeably, maintaining a 1.5 cup ratio to absorb the combined beef and chicken stocks adequately.
Precision timing ensures the cruciferous vegetables retain structural integrity instead of dissolving entirely. Adequate resting periods allow the flavors to coalesce before ladling portions into bowls.
