Why do oxtails cost so much

According to the Los Angeles Times , the cooking of oxtail can be traced to the use of oxen as beasts of burden, which was common all over the Old World as well as some parts of the Americas. Additionally, when the animal came to the end of its working life and was slaughtered for food, people discovered that oxen were not only milder in temperament but also tastier than bulls.

For that reason, although oxen steers are generally no longer used as work animals, the practice of castrating male cows for the beef market continues today. Back in the day, when nose-to-tail eating was a given and every single part of the animal was used, folks developed recipes to utilize oxtail; generally, it was used in long-cooked dishes that break down the tail's connective tissue to produce a rich broth via The Spruce Eats.

If you like beef, you'll love oxtail. Deeply meaty with an abundance of flavor, oxtail can be compared to short rib , but when cooked it's actually even more tender than that cut via The Spruce Eats.

Much of oxtail's deliciousness is thanks to the section of bone at the center of each round; because the bone is cut crosswise, each section contains a hearty knob of marrow via The Takeout. As the oxtail cooks, the fat-rich marrow melts, bathing each piece of meat and lending its buttery, nutty taste to the dish as a whole via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Oxtail is common in cuisines around the world via The Spruce Eats. For example, most of the ph'o recipes call for an oxtail broth enriched with lemon grass. Oxtails are very expensive, though. That means that a decent sized pot of oxtail soup would costs about ten bucks. What is so special about the tails?

Can I substitute cheaper beef parts with similar results? I imagine the tail has a lot of collagen, which might give the soup extra body.

But is the flavor of oxtails different? They get it with their vegetables. Leigh-Ann: You taste the spices in there. You taste the fresh seasoning that we use. What's really unique about the oxtail recipes coming out of the Caribbean is the use of the Amerindian and the African ways of cooking. You also have a lot of the colonial influences, but you really get a lot of the techniques that the first people used, the African slave used, using undesirable parts of the meat, cooking it in big pots, long and slow, and feeding a bunch of people.

Leigh-Ann: I have the rice and the red beans. So this is like, pretty much like comfort food in Jamaica. Jamaicans, they're known for, and they cook a lot of, rice and beans using the red beans. And that's always normally paired with the oxtail and a lot of gravy. And traditionally you do have your steamed cabbage, and you have your fried plantains here. So what were you expecting, with it being, like, your first time having oxtails?

Doyin: I just wouldn't expect there to be as much meat on it. It kind of looked kind of bony. It's just a lot of textures on one piece. And it's really good! Leigh-Ann: It is. So it, to me, it reminds me of, like, a pulled, a pulled brisket.

Leigh-Ann: It's not stringy. Of course, as with anything, when demand exceeds the supply, the price goes up. Remember the high spike in demand for oysters and snails that seemingly came out of nowhere?

They became one of the most luxurious seafood items. The same has happened with oxtails as well, and they have grown to be the latest trendy meal of the rich and famous. Despite its high price, oxtail is perfect for making a warm, hearty stew in your pressure cooker or slow cooker. We hope this sheds some light for you on why oxtail is such a costly cut of beef. Hopefully, you will enjoy trying the affordable ways of cooking this delicious meat!