Comfort Food

I remember when I was little, my Mom who was a planner, always let us know what she would be cooking for supper before we went to school. If it was something I loved, I would think about that meal all day long. Going home after school was over was a joy, but going home to a meal you loved was like Christmas.

Two words that could make me go wild to get home that evening was Oxtail Soup. Oh how I loved coming home to the smell of oxtail soup. It is still my favorite food. My Mom is gone now and sometimes I feel like I let all her cooking secrets go with her without at least getting them all in my head to write down someday when I had time.

I do think I have pretty much got her recipe down and make it just the way it tasted from her stove.

My Mom's Oxtail Soup

3 to 4 lbs oxtails (they are mostly bone so even this much is not that much meat)
the heart of one celery stalk
2 cups white rice
several tsp caraway seed to your taste
salt and pepper to taste

Boil oxtails with salt pepper and caraway seeds in plenty of water to have enough so there is still broth after the rice cooks. This will probably take several hours to most of the day for tender meat.

Chop the celery heart and cook with the oxtails about 30 minutes before rice.

Cook rice until tender

Now you have my Mom's best Oxtail soup and oh how good it is.