Make Homemade Beef Stock Using Oxtail Bones

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Oxtail bones make a rich and delicious homemade beef stock. This beef stock recipe is used as the base for making French onion soup.

Homemade Beef Stock

Homemade beef stock is nothing like the stock you can buy at your local grocer.

Making homemade beef stock is more beneficial because for one thing it tastes better, has more nutrients, is all natural without added ingredients that you can’t pronounce and it will be gelatinous when cooled.

A Gelatinous Stock

Gelatin is a rich protein that comes from the cartilage bones of animals like hip, joint and oxtail bones. When these type of bones are cooked they release proteins that form gelatin also know as collagen.

Consuming collagen is a health benefit. You can read more about the health benefits in my recipe for The Best Tasting Beef Bone Broth Recipe.

If you have ever picked up a can or box of beef stock at your local grocer and shook the container it would sound like liquid sloshing around. If you place your store bought stock in the fridge it remains liquid.

After making homemade beef stock and placing it in a container in the refrigerator the fat will form solid on top and your stock will firm up and become gelatin like. No sloshing around just a nice rich flavorful firm stock. Now, when you warm up the stock it turns back to liquid.

Once the stock is cooled the fat will float to the top and harden. Easily remove the solid fat with a spoon although it isn’t mandatory to remove the fat.

Hint: reuse the fat for making gravies, sauces or suet for birds. Just put it in a baggie in the freezer until ready to use or discard.

What’s The Difference Between Beef Stock and Beef Broth?

Although beef stock and beef broth are interchangeably used in a sentence they are both made differently.

Stock is more rich and flavorful than that of broth.

It really can be confusing but broth is made with the meatier part of the beef whereas stock is made from simmering bones from the meat.

Does it matter which one you use? Stock or broth? Seriously, in my opinion, it depends on what flavor you are reaching for. If you really want a beefy flavor then I recommend the stock. If you are wanting to add a little flavor then use the broth.

I like using both. This stock recipe I use for making my French Onion Soup . Savory recipes that call for water I may substitute and use broth. It just all depends on the mood.

What Are Oxtails?

Oxtail is a cut of beef taken from the tail of an animal. It’s about the size of a tennis ball which contains beef, connective tissue, and bone with marrow.

After slow cooking for 12 hours or more it makes an excellent, rich gelatinous, beef stock making it perfect for soups, stews or just by itself if you flavor it properly.

Note: The Oxtail is the tail of the beef, not an ox. It is a tough cut of connective tissue that cooks down into a meaty jello gold known as a gelatinous stock.

Where To Get Oxtails

Oxtails can be found at your local butcher or grocery store. They are usually kept in cryovac packaging in the meat section. If they are hard to locate just ask someone in the meat department.

Making Homemade Beef Stock

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of oxtails
• 1 large yellow onion cut in fourths
• 3 carrots peeled and cut in halves
• 1 clove garlic peeled and smashed
• 3 celery stalks cleaned and cut in halves
• 1 Tablespoon peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups water

Instructions:

Remove oxtails from packaging and place in a slow cooker. Add all ingredients to the cooker and allow to cook on low heat for at least 12-18 hours.

When the cooking has completed remove all ingredients from the stock.

Hint: To do this I use two large bowls. One bowl with a colander atop where I scoop out the bone, meat and vegetables into the colander and allow them to drain into the bowl. Remove the meat and vegetables from the colander and set aside. Place the colander over the second bowl and pour the stock into the colander to remove all particles from the broth.

Place stock in these plastic containers and either use right away or store in the refrigerator and use within 4-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

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