Old-Fashioned Beef Oxtail Soup

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Serves 6 to 8

Cooking Time 9 to 10 hours on Low or 6 to 7 hours on High

Slow Cooker Size 5½ to 7 Quarts

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Oxtail soup rarely shows up on the dinner table these days. While it offers deep flavor, rich body, and fall-apart-tender meat (thanks to a significant amount of gelatin), it requires hours of gentle simmering to extract the flavor of the marrow inside the bones and to break down the collagen. We wanted to put the slow cooker to work and put oxtail soup back on the menu. All the oxtails needed was some salt and pepper and plenty of hands-off time in the slow cooker to become meltingly tender. To complement the rich meat, we chose hearty, earthy carrots and parsnips for our vegetables. To round out the soup, we added store-bought beef broth and a combination of onions, tomato paste, garlic, and thyme. A sprinkle of fresh parsley before serving added an herbal flavor. If parsnips are large, cut them in half lengthwise. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.

2	cups chopped onions
2	tablespoons tomato paste
1	tablespoon minced garlic
1	tablespoon vegetable oil
½	teaspoon dried thyme
8	cups beef broth
3	carrots, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick
3	parsnips, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick
2	bay leaves
3	pounds oxtails
	Salt and pepper
2	tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1. Microwave onions, tomato paste, garlic, oil, and thyme in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in broth, carrots, parsnips, and bay leaves. Season oxtails with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until oxtails are tender, 9 to 10 hours on low or 6 to 7 hours on high.

2. Transfer oxtails to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces, discarding fat and bones. Using large spoon, skim excess fat from surface of soup. Discard bay leaves.

3. Stir in shredded beef and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.