Oxtail Soup

I remember eating Oxtail Soup as a very little girl. The name made me think that quite possibly there might be some odd animal's tail at the bottom of the pan. I didn't know what an ox was at the time but I do remember the sweet meat in the soup and the aroma that filled my Grandma Mihojevich's house and my own house when my mom made it. Later I figured out that it was a delicious vegetable soup. We celebrated our Mihojevich heritage last summer at our family reunion and recreated many of my grandmother's recipes.  My sister, Nancy, made wonderful Oxtail Soup for lunch. Recently, a friend gave us some beef from his freezer. He mentioned that he had several packages of oxtails. Would I know what to do with them and did I want them? I was so happy to put them in my freezer and yesterday I had the familiar aroma of Oxtail Soup in my house.

Oxtail Soup

3-4 lbs. meat - oxtail, chuck roast, short ribs, shanks - anything with a bone

Put in crock pot; cover with beef stock.

Add: 1 - lg. can (28 oz) undrained tomatoes

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. each Italian seasonings & parsley

salt & pepper to taste (be generous)

2-3 med. onions, diced

4 carrots, diced                                                                                             3 lg. stalks celery, diced

1/2 head cabbage, shredded coursely

3/4 c. pearl barley (dry) - leave out for gluten-free

Simmer overnight on low. (If not using crock pot, stovetop 2-3 hrs.)

Pick out bones, skim fat, shred meat & return meat to pot.

Add any combo of the following to cook quickly: frozen corn, peas, green beans, sugar snap peas, lima beans.

Note: My sister, Nancy's secret ingredient: 2-3 tbsp. pesto added to pot.