I have often shied away from oxtail.: it is literally a cow’s tail split into its individual vertebra. On the front that can be rather off-putting; however, cooked, oh wow! Insert emoji of kissing the fingers! Not too long ago I found an oxtail in my freezer and knew that this weekend was the right one.

Because of the vertebra, the oxtail is full of collagen and flavor but doesn’t have a lot of actual meat and takes a long time to cook. This is a cut for the weekend, slow (think 4-5 hours) simmering on the stove in order to make the meat tender and release all the collagen into the stew. At the end of the cooking period, once the stew has cooled in the fridge it can stand up on its own two feet it is so collagen rich.

Making the stew (Oxtail Stew Recipe) reminded me of why ingredients are important. There are very few ingredients and after cooking, I didn’t add anything. No extra sauces or seasonings or toppings. Nothing. The stew stood and shone on its foundations.

I realized that the key to the whole thing was the broth. We make a basic and delicious broth here in the Kitchen, but I usually save my chicken backs and make my own broth at home and that broth is usually very carrot rich so it is earthy and sweet. The key to my whole stew was that earthy sweetness. So full bodied.

One of the reasons Full Diet works is the quality of the ingredients that make the meal. A stew of exceptional and quality ingredients comes out tasting plain good. It fills your heart, your tastebuds, your whole being with light.

Let those ingredients shine through in your cooking this week and don’t forget the carrots 🙂

~ Alison

Exciting news!

Our new hens are starting to lay. That is always a sure sign that spring is in the air and the days have really started to get longer!

photo credit: Rachel Hansen