McCloud’s Sunday Oxtail Stew Recipe

Hey Pbj’s! Im back with another oxtail recipe that you may have never seen before. When most people think of oxtails, they think of Jamaican Oxtails or oxtails smothered in a rich dark gravy.

But this oxtail recipe is pretty unique and made with a few simple everyday ingredients. You maybe caught off guard when you here it’s a stew made of tomato sauce, mixed veggetables, and egg noodles.

It’s not everyday people make an oxtail stew with mixed veggies and tomato sauce. But it’s so freaking delicious while being also a very simplistic dish.

This oxtail stew is one of my favorite dishes to make during the fall and winter seasons. I make it about 4 to 5 times from October to the end of March. I call it my football dish because I make on Sunday during the NFL season. Lol

You get every primary nutrient you need in each bite which is another recipe I like this dish. Not to mention it’s filling and the perfect dish to warm you up during those brisk cold months.

What I love most is that it’s delicious while being so easy to make. So if you’re looking for a delicious oxtail stew that’s delicious and easy to make, don’t look no further.

McCloud’s Sunday Oxtail Stew

This recipe is a modification of my step-grandfather McCloud’s oxtail stew. He didn’t have a recipe per se, but he made it the same way all the time, so it was easy for me to copy.

I made this several times over the years, but never put numbers to it to create an actual recipe. So I finally did, and let me say, it might be better than his. Lol!

I switched some things up to take it up a notch, like adding broth instead of just using water. I also added a pinch of sugar to the sauce, and use a few different seasonings to make it mine. 

I’m sure you heard the name McCloud before if you’re subscribed to my YouTube and blog. He was one of my major cooking influences, along with my nana Alice Mae and grandma Gwen, whom I’ve also mentioned a lot.

During my adolescent years, I lived with my grandma Val, who was married to McCloud. A few of my aunts lived with us as well but he was basically the cook of the house.

He loved cooking and always made the dishes I loved the most on Sunday’s for Sunday dinner. Here are some recipes inspired by McCloud you might want to try:

• Easy Smothered Beef Short Ribs
• Easy Baked Smothered Porkchops
• Smothered Steak And Onions
• Easy Homemade Scrapple

McCloud inspired quite a few of my recipes, and this delicious oxtail stew was one of them. My mom loved his oxtail stew so she always gets excited when I make it.

I remember how I use to sit on the couch eating a big bowl of oxtails while watching Sunday football. I would eat every peice of meat off the bones, a lick all the sauce out of the bowl. Haha!

Man, oh man, this oxtail stew is just so freaking nostalgic for me! It’s delicious and bring back so many memories, so I had to share this recipe with yall.

Im a pretty generous guys so I just couldnt keep it to myself. Lol! Print the recipe and give it a shot. Trust me, this wont be the last time you make this stew.

Watch Me Make It

What Makes This A Good Recipe?

• It’s hearty: This is a stew, so it’s obviously hearty. The perfect comfort food to fill and warm you up cold days during the fall and winter seasons .
• It’s simple: Although it takes 4 and a half hours, it’s a straightforward and easy-to-follow recipe. A 14-year-old can make make this so don’t worry about messing this up!
• It’s stretches: It can feed a lot of people, and that’s with all stews. It lasts long and can feed a house of 4 to 6 people.
• All-in-one-dish: You dont need any sides because you get your protein from the oxtails, your carbs from the starchy noodles, and your veggies all in one dish.

Recipe Ingredients:

• Meat: Oxtails are the main ingredient for this stew. Make sure when you order your oxtails from the meat market, you ask for 3lbs and request a combination of big, medium, and small pieces.
• Liquid: We’ll be using a combination of water and chicken broth to cook the oxtails. This is what they’ll simmer in until they’re nice and tender. Make sure to use a low-sodium chicken broth.
• Vegetables: We’ll just be adding frozen mixed vegetables at the very end and simmering the oxtails with sliced yellow onions.
• Starch: We throw in some egg noodles once the liquid cooks down. I use thin egg noodles but if you prefer wide, do you.
• Sauce: The traditional tomato sauce is added at the very end. I recommend using name-brand sauce like Prego or Ragu; those two are the best in my opinion.
• Seasonings: We’ll be using seasoning salt for taste, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning for depth of flavor, parsley flakes for aroma and aesthetics, black pepper for a little heat and warmth, and white sugar to cut the sauce’s acidity.

Prepping The Oxtails

Whenever my folks would cook oxtails they would boil them for 10-15 minutes first. They did the same whenever they would bake Pig’s feet or grilled pork ribs.

They did this to remove impurities and the brown foam aka scum that always rises to the top after cooking them for a few minutes.

The foam isn’t harmful; most just like to remove it for aesthetic purposes. Now some people don’t believe in washing or cleaning their meats with a salt water, lime water, or vinegar water solution.

They believe it spreads germs and think the hot water alone will kill any bacteria or impurities on the meat. But I’m team “clean your meat”, lol! I do it because not only was it how I was taught to clean meat, but it feels good to do so.

Honestly, the meat always looks so much cleaner and fresher afterward. It’s nothing you can say to convince me that cleaning your meat isn’t necessary or makes a difference.

I especially like to soak my meats in a lemon or salt water solution. Lemon has lightening agents that brighten meat that’s been sitting in the fridge a bit too long and may have developed freezer burn.

Whether you choose to clean your meat or not, the one thing we all agree with is removing the fat. So that’s what we’ll do first. Removing the fat is necessary; everything after step 1 is completely optional.

1. Remove excess fat: First, get a knife and remove the yellow fat and any excess dangling pieces of skin you see hanging from the oxtails. There shouldn’t be much, but if you see any, remove as much as you can.
2. Soak in solution: You’re then going to soak your oxtails for 15-20 minutes in a cleaning solution. You can soak them in salt water, lemon water, or vinegar water. I use 1 tbsp of salt, lemon juice, or vinegar per 1 quart of water. So stick with that ratio.
3. Preheat water: Get a large pot, fill it with 2-1/2 quarts of cool water, and place it over high heat. It should take 10 minutes before coming to a boil. Add the oxtails a little before they come to a rolling boil.
4. Boil oxtails: Once the water begins to boil, add the oxtails and let them simmer for 10-15 minutes. You will notice the foam rising to the top.
5. Remove foam water: Pour out the hot water and all of the scum, aka brown foam.
6. Rinse well: Rinse the oxtails thoroughly by adding cool water to the pot and stirring with a big spoon until the water is clear.
7. Set aside: Set the oxtails aside in a big bowl.
8. Clean the pot: Clean the pot with cool water, making sure to remove all the brown foam on the sides of the pot.

How to make McCloud’s Oxtail Stew

1. Place a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add the oxtails, broth, and water.
3. Add the onions and seasonings, then stir well.
4. Cover with a lid, leaving a small crack on the side.
5. Simmer for 3-1/2 hours.
6. Stir in the egg noodles.
7. Cook for 10 minutes.
8. Reduce the heat to low.
9. Add the sauce.
10. Add the sugar.
11. Add the mixed vegetables, and stir well.
12. Cover with a lid, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Cooking Tips:

• Leave a crack on the side: Make sure to leave a crack on the side when covering the pot with the lid.
• When you cant add all the liquid at once: If your pot isn’t large enough to hold all the liquid, let the liquid cook down and then add the remaining liquid.
• Stir periodically: Make sure to stir periodically, mainly after adding the sauce, because it tends to stick and we don’t want that.

Oxtail Stew Variations:

• Add cheese: If you want to switch things up, add a cup or two of sharp cheddar cheese to the oxtails. That might taste pretty good. I add cheese to my spaghetti sometimes. I presume it will taste just as good. Add the cheese after the sauce, and let it melt as you simmer the sauce on low heat.
• Replace egg noodles with potatoes: If you’re not a fan of egg noodles, you can use potatoes instead. If you decide to use potatoes, go with red potatoes or Yukon Golds. Peel and dice them into relatively even medium-sized pieces. Add them to the pot of oxtails after 3 hours and use a quart less liquid.

How to store and reheat Oxtail Stew

• How to store oxtail stew: You can keep it covered with the lid in the pot and store it in the refrigerator. Or place it in a Tupperware bowl, seal it tightly with a lid, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil, and keep it in the fridge.
• Can you freeze the oxtail stew? Yes! Just make sure to seal it tightly in a Ziploc bag to prevent freezer burn.
• How to reheat oxtail stew on the stove? Place it in a pot over medium heat. Add a little water if needed, and cover it with a lid. Simmer until hot, about 20 minutes; stir periodically.
• How to reheat oxtail stew in a microwave? Make sure you place the stew in a microwave-proof dish, and cook it on high heat for 3 minutes. Stir after a minute and a half so it’s hot all the way through.

Oxtail Stew FAQ’s

• Where do you get oxtails from? You can find oxtails at your local meat butcher shop/market. They don’t usually sell them in big chain supermarkets. When you do, they tend to be very large and come in packs.
• How to cut oxtails? If you want smaller oxtails, which is what you’ll need for this recipe, your best bet is to go to a meat butcher shop/market, as I mentioned, because they usually have oxtails in various sizes and can cut them smaller if needed.
• What’s a good chicken broth alternative? If you don’t have broth, combine water with chicken bouillon cubes. The ratio is 1 bouillon cube per cup of water. Since we’re using 2 quarts of broth, you will need 8 bouillon cubes and 2 quarts of water to create chicken broth. Boil them together over high heat in a medium pot until the cubes dissolve.

Alright yall… I hope you enjoy this recipe. If you do, please share, give a 5-star rating, and leave a review below. That would be greatly appreciated.

Also, please subscribe so you get notified via email every time I post a new delicious, easy-to-make recipe.

Enjoy, later.

Pbj! 

McCloud’s Sunday Oxtail Stew Recipe

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• Author: PhillyboyJay
• Prep Time: 30 Mins
• Cook Time: 4 hrs 30 mins
• Total Time: 5 hrs
• Yield: 6-8
• Category: Soup & Stew
• Method: Soul Food
• Cuisine: Soul Food

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Description

Hearty, filling, one-pot Oxtail Stew, made with egg noodles, mixed vegetables, and tomato sauce.

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Ingredients

• 3 Lbs Oxtails
• 3 Cups Wide Egg Noodles
• 1 Cup Yellow Onions, thinly sliced
• 2 Cups Frozen Mixed Vegetables
• 3 Qts Water
• 2 Qts Chicken Broth
• 1 Qt Tomato Sauce
• 1 Tbs White Sugar
• 2 Tsp Seasoning Salt
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tsp Parsley Flakes
• 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper

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Instructions

1. Place a size pot over medium heat.
2. Add the oxtails, broth, and water.
3. Add the onions and seasonings, then stir well.
4. Cover with a lid, leaving a small crack on the side.
5. Simmer for 4 hours.
6. Add the egg noodles and stir well.
7. Cook for 10 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, add the sugar to the sauce and stir well.
9. Add the sauce to the pot and stir well.
10. Stir in the mixed vegetables.
11. Reduce the heat to low.
12. Cover with a lid, and simmer for 10 minutes.