This is a favorite winter recipe from my grandmother. Many great memories go with this rich delicious soup. If you think your kids will fake being sick when they hear Ox Tail is for dinner just call it vegetable soup. You can ask your grocer or meat man for ox tail if you don’t know what your looking for. You will need about 11/2 to 3 pounds of meat. Most of this is bone but that is where the flavor is. Note: you want to start this soup early in the day; I start it at lunch time.

Salt, pepper and brown ox tail in large Dutch oven with a little olive oil or vegetable oil. Add a large chopped onion, 2 sticks of celery cut up, 1 bay leaf, 1 package of Knorr dry vegetable soup mix, 1 can of tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Fill the rest of the pot with water and start cooking. Cook 3-4 hours. Don’t forget to stir it once in while. After cooking the meat that long scoop it out with slotted spoon and let cool while you prepare the rest of the vegetables.

During the last hour of cooking add 3-4 chopped carrots, 3-4 diced potatoes, 1/4 cup rice and 1/4 cup macaroni noodles. By now the oxtail is cooled off enough for you to debone it, put the meat back in the pot and give the dog a bone. Let the soup stand for a while to enhance the taste.

Yum-Yum! Serve with corn bread or crackers and salad.