Oxtail

This is a real flavour bomb.

Oxtail is, probably, one of the most expensive cuts of beef you can buy.

Because, once cooked, by the time you've finished getting all the meat off the bone there's not a lot there.

But what there is, is sensational and well worth the effort. And that's why Oxtail is the darling of so many high end restaurants, gastro-pubs and Italian menus.

It doesn't look very pretty raw – it's boney and a bit knobbly – but, when it’s cooked, there's nothing to match it for taste.

Oxtail has a distinct, rich, deep flavour – thanks to all the marrow and collagen. A lot of people liken it to a more tender version of short ribs. The meat's tender and falls readily off the bone, and by that time the gravy's thick and silky.

It's nourishing too. A very good source of protein supplying almost 60% of your daily requirement. And packed with vitamins. 

There's only one way to cook Oxtail – on a low heat for a long time. In fact, it could've been made for slow cookers.

It's a waste to stew this cut on a hob. It's far, far better done in the oven as a casserole or a soup.

One tip... if you're going to use vegetables in the casserole, grate them first and don't put them in as chunks. Once cooked, there's a lot of bone and other little bits you'll want to pick out before you serve it. And that's more fiddly if there's chunks of vegetables floating around as well.

But, whichever way you do it, Oxtail pays back every minute you spend on it.