Monday 18 August 2014

Cheap & cheerful

It was chilly today & as I walked passed the butchers I noticed they had some oxtail, I bought some, it was £3.60. I used my pressure cooker as it saves simmering the oxtail for ages.  I started with a chopped onion & 2 sliced carrots, these were from the garden. I softened these in a little butter & browned the oxtail chunks & then  I added a couple of pints of water & a basics stock cube. 
Once it was cooked & the meat was falling off the bone, I discarded the bone & gristle, added some of the meat back to the pan & whizzed it 'til it was smooth to make soup. The rest of the meat I added to more veg & some gravy to make oxtail stew, it's in the freezer ready for a night when I get home late & tired.

6 comments:

rabbitquilter said...

Ooo! Yum yum!!!It's Cottage pie for tea here tomorrow, weather is on the turn! Hoping for an Indian summer as I haven't had my summer hols yet!!! X

50 and counting said...

Oxtail is hugely expensive here in Canada, the last time I saw some it was over $15.

Food is so much cheaper in the UK and mainland Europe.

Anonymous said...

From Margie in Toronto - have to agree with 50 and Counting - even when I see Oxtails they are expensive - Oxtail stew with beans & rice is a lovely meal at some of the Caribbean restaurants here in town.
Weather was cooler here too on the weekend so made a big pot of cauliflower soup - added some parmesan rinds that I had in the freezer and it's given it a lovely zing. Just had a lovely bowl for supper - will have it for the next couple of nights and I've frozen about half of it so that was a good job!

Hard up Hester said...

Yum, I love cottage pie & will make it one day this week.
Ouch, that is expensive, mind you here in the UK things go up a lot in price as soon as the trendy chefs discover them, lamb shanks used to be cheap, under £1, now they are £3.99 each, I buy them for hubby sometimes to do a Sunday roast.

jill said...

Nice bit of foraging!
Oxtails, tripe,lamb shanks and neck bits, once there very frugal choice, are no longer even close to cheap here anymore.
Also, since everyone has gone so "upscale" in their minds at least, kidneys heart and even livers other than from a chicken are almost impossible to find.

Pam said...

When I was first married I used a farmer/butcher from the nearest market town. When he had a beast slaughtered he would give me the tail as he could not sell them for love nor money. The last time I saw oxtail was in the Co op in Long Sutton and it was over £4 for 3 bits. I left it. I do manage to get beef cheeks in the winter from Tesco, usually RTC as people do not seem to know how good they are.

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