Beef Oxtail

Oxtail is exactly what it sounds like: the tail of the steer, cut crosswise into round, bony segments. It is one of the toughest, boniest cuts on the animal, and one of the most rewarding. Cooked low and slow, it turns into some of the richest, silkiest meat you can put on a plate.

What to know

Each segment is a cross-section of tail: a core of bone and marrow ringed by meat and a lot of connective tissue. That connective tissue is the whole point. Given hours of gentle, moist heat, the collagen melts into gelatin, which gives oxtail its signature sticky, full-bodied sauce and fall-apart texture. It is lean on quick-cooking meat but heavy on flavor, so it is a braising cut, full stop.

How to cook oxtail

Brown the pieces hard, then braise them low for 3 hours or more until the meat slides off the bone. A pressure cooker does the same job faster, and a long sous vide hold works too. Oxtail anchors dishes around the world: Jamaican oxtail stew, Korean kkori gomtang, Chinese braises, and Italian coda alla vaccinara. It behaves much like beef shank, so if you like one you will like the other.

Buying oxtail

Oxtail used to be cheap and is now prized, so prices have climbed. Buying a whole tail from a local farm is often the best value, and grass-fed oxtail makes a deeper stock. Ask for it cut into 2-inch segments.

Recipe to try

Braised Oxtail: our low-and-slow method for tender, gelatin-rich oxtail in a glossy sauce.

FAQ

Is oxtail beef?

Yes. Oxtail is the tail of a cow (originally an ox), sold in round, bone-in segments. It is a beef cut.

Why is oxtail so gelatinous?

It is full of connective tissue and collagen. Long, moist cooking turns that collagen into gelatin, which gives oxtail its rich, sticky sauce and tender meat.

How long does oxtail take to cook?

Plan on at least 3 hours of braising, or about 45 minutes in a pressure cooker, until the meat pulls easily from the bone.