The Tale of the Unfortunate Ox

Ox tail is a meat delicacy that is savoured by people from Italy, the Caribbean and others. It is derived from the bony tails of cattle. As you can see below, the raw form has a nice combination of meat, bone and fat, which lends itself well for stewing.

One of my favourite ways to enjoy this meat is by preparing it in a spicy tomato sauce. This recipe is so simple, it's ridiculous.


All you need to do is combine the following ingredients in a saucepan:
- puréed tomatoes (You can also use chunked tomatoes.)
- 2 tablespoons of oregano
- salt (to taste)
- hot pepper flakes
- 3 to 4 tablespoons of hot pepper vodka (You can also use regular vodka for this recipe. For my entry on how to make your own hot pepper vodka click here.)


Note: Garlic can be added optionally.

Give your mixture a quick stir and submerge the ox tail pieces within it. Simply cover your pot and let it slowly simmer for approximately one hour.

The result will be some of the best tomato sauce you have tasted.

Use the sauce in any way you would regular tomato sauce.


The ox tail meat can be easily shred and used in a number of ways, like:
- in sandwiches
- over salad
- stuffed in pasta, e.g. ravioli
- combined with other meats to be used in meat pies, samosas, empanadas, etc.