Mama Lilo’s Oxtail Soup

In two large liberally oiled skillets (preferably cast iron) braise >4 pounds of oxtail segments, all sides deeply brown.  Avoid smoking.  Big segments present 6 sides, middle-size segments present four sides, and finger-size segments are cylindrical.

As they finish, put them in a >3-gallon pot on low heat.

Add:

Green half of a leek tied in a sheaf.

Several pieces of celery cut in 5-in lengths

1 celery root in 1/2-in slice

In the now meatless skillets saute mixture of:

3 adult yellow or sweet onions, peeled and sliced

1 garlic bulb =12 cloves peeled and sliced

1 large green bell pepper, cleaned and sliced

6 minipeppers, cleaned and sliced or 1 big red bell pepper

The white half of a leek ½-in sliced

3 carrots sliced longituinally

1 tblsp tomato paste

Deglaze thoroughly into pot of brazed oxtail segments

Add 1 gallon water

Add 2 10-oz cans of beef consume

Add 4 cubes beef bouillon and 2 cubes chicken bouillon.

In a gewurzkugel (gewurzball) to hang in the pot, place 1 bay leaf, 

6 peppercorns, 4 cloves, handful of parsley stems.

(Keep leafy parsley to add after cooking)

Add hot water to about 2-in below rim of pot, cover and boil slowly for 6 hours, then leave on burner until cool enough to proceed.

Shake fluid from gewurzball into soup and discard gewurzball solids.

Using tongs, pick vegetables off the sunken layer of oxtail pieces and transfer them to a colander in a bowl.  Examine carefully for small bony discs which must be removed.  Place the vegitables in a round bowl and puree very thoroughly, perhaps with a little water.

Using tongs, transfer meat and bones to a glass bowl.

Tilt pot slightly and try to transfer last bits of meat and bone from bottom of pot to this glass bowl, which can now go into refrigerator.

Pour from the big pot to another big container through a sieve.  Discard bone bits.

Put one cup flour and 1/2 stick of butter in the big pot and gently roast while scraping and mixing constantly until the flour is light brown.  To this rue add half of the stock and boil.  Add remainder of stock.  Return the main volume to the big pot and mix.

Add the pureed vegetables and mix.

Add more bouillon and ground black pepper to taste. 

Now schmeck.