Oxtail Soup (Not Just a Great Broth - Flavorful Oxtail Too)
牛尾汤(不仅汤好喝，牛尾更有滋味) · pan chinese cuisine
The author created this recipe during a stretch of rainy weather while a family member was fighting a cold - just the moment for a nourishing oxtail soup. The signature technique: after the oxtail is fully simmered, it is pulled out and massaged with a soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing-style cooking wine, and aromatics mixture, then returned to the broth. This keeps the soup itself mild while making the meat deeply flavorful. Note: before returning the oxtail to the pot, scrape off the bits of scallion, garlic, and ginger clinging to it - it's fiddly but worth not skipping.
Colm ByrneIrish guy in Boston who makes a mean stew and a questionable attempt at pho. Weekend baker, weekday pasta-and-frozen-peas guy. Honest recipes only.Nutrition & allergens
Contains:MilkSesameSoyWheat
Some ingredients are not yet allergen-surveyed; this label is not exhaustive.
Per serving (4 servings)
- Energy (kcal)
- Unknown
- Protein (g)
- Unknown
- Fat (g)
- Unknown
- Carbs (g)
- Unknown
- Sodium (mg)
- Unknown
Estimated from verified ingredient data for the original formula — not lab values, and one dish is not a full meal.
Oxtail牛尾
28.22 oz
4.0 stalk
5.0 clove
3.0 slice
salt盐
to taste
milk牛奶
as needed
2.4 oz
0.71 oz
zao枣
6.0 piece
goji berries (dried)枸杞（可不用）
as needed
0.53 oz
black pepper黑胡椒粉
to taste
Techniques you'll use
- Blanching (chao shui) ↗
Par-cook in boiling water to clean, tighten, or prep ingredients.
- Simmering (dun) ↗
Gentle low-heat cooking in liquid until flavors merge and meat softens.
- Marinating ↗
Season protein ahead with soy, wine, and starch for flavor and texture.
Steps
Rinse the oxtail, blanch it in a pot of cold water, then rinse it under cold running water and set aside.
✅ Done when: The oxtail is rinsed clean, blanched, and cooled under cold water.
Bring water to a boil in a stew pot, add the oxtail, bring back to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low and simmer for about 1 to 1.5 hours, until the broth turns whitish and a chopstick pierces the oxtail easily.
✅ Done when: The broth is pale white and a chopstick slides through the oxtail with little resistance.
While the oxtail simmers, prepare the marinade. Slice the scallions into fine rings, and mince the garlic and ginger. In a large bowl big enough to hold the oxtail, combine the light soy sauce, sesame oil, and cooking wine, add black pepper to taste, and stir in the scallion, ginger, and garlic.
✅ Done when: The aromatics are minced and the marinade is mixed together in a large bowl.
When the oxtail is done, lift it out and transfer it to the bowl of marinade. Wearing disposable gloves, massage the oxtail in the sauce, then let it marinate for about 20 minutes.
✅ Done when: The oxtail is evenly coated in the marinade and has rested in it for about 20 minutes.
While the oxtail marinates, keep the soup at a low simmer and add milk as needed, the jujubes, and the goji berries. Let it continue to bubble gently over low heat.
✅ Done when: The broth is simmering gently with the milk, jujubes, and goji berries added.
After the 20 minutes, wearing disposable gloves, rub off the scallion, garlic, and ginger bits clinging to the oxtail so the pieces look clean. Return the oxtail to the soup pot and simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes. Season with a small amount of salt and black pepper, ladle into bowls, and finish with a sprinkle of sliced scallions.
✅ Done when: The oxtail is clean of aromatics, has simmered another 20 to 30 minutes, and the finished soup is seasoned and garnished with scallions.