Ono Grindz 808
Soups & Noodles

Oxtail Soup

Fall-off-the-bone oxtail in a peanut-and-star-anise broth. The slow Sunday dish worth the wait.

Prep20 min
Cook3 hr
Total3 hr 20 min
Serves6

Oxtail soup traces back to the islands' Chinese immigrant community — a version of kau yuk built around oxtail, raw peanuts simmered until soft, star anise, and a coin or two of dried tangerine peel that perfumes the whole pot. It's a special-occasion, low-and-slow dish that rewards patience with a broth that tastes like it's been building flavor for a full day, because it has.

Served with rice, a chili pepper water and hot mustard-shoyu dip on the side, and usually a big platter of family around the table — this isn't a weeknight-in-a-hurry dish, and it isn't trying to be.

How fo’ make ’um

  1. Blanch the oxtail: cover with cold water in a large pot, bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse the oxtail and pot. This step keeps the final broth clear instead of cloudy.
  2. Return the oxtail to the clean pot with the 12 cups water, peanuts, ginger, star anise, and tangerine peel if using. Bring to a boil, then drop to a low simmer.
  3. Cover partially and simmer 2½–3 hours, skimming occasional foam, until the oxtail is fall-off-the-bone tender and the peanuts have gone soft.
  4. Stir in shoyu and salt. Taste and adjust — the broth should be savory but light, not heavy-handed.
  5. Add the won bok for the last 5 minutes, just until wilted.
  6. Ladle into bowls over or alongside rice. Top with green onion and cilantro, and serve the mustard-shoyu dip on the side for dipping the meat.

Local tips

  • Chenpi (dried tangerine peel) is worth tracking down at a Chinese grocery — it adds a background citrus note nothing else quite replaces. The soup is still good without it.
  • Make it a day ahead. Chill overnight, lift off the solidified fat cap, and reheat — better texture, better flavor, less mess.
  • Leftover broth freezes well on its own; save it and you've got the start of your next pot of oxtail soup.

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