Oxtail

Oxtail, or the tail of a cow or veal calf, contains a lot of connective tissue, muscle fiber, and collagen, all of which will toughen up when heated to high temperatures. A low and slow cooking method, on the other hand, will break down these tough parts, leaving you with tender and intensely flavorful pieces of beef.

Oxtail can be found in a variety of cuisines around the world, including British classics like oxtail stew, Asian dishes like Pho Bo, and the traditional Caribbean version of oxtail. Historically, oxtail was a low-cost, throwaway cut of meat. Oxtail, on the other hand, has undergone a culinary renaissance in recent years and can now cost between $4 and $10 per pound or more, with half of that weight being bone. The Jamaican oxtail draws heavily from the island's previous inhabitants, including West Africans, Indians, the British, and the Spanish. The dishes' preparation is also influenced by African one-pot cooking traditions.