More oxtail

Following the meal noticed at reference 1, we thought to have another go yesterday. More or less identical meal, less the date slice, ruled calories too far.

Rather more oxtail on this occasion, around 3lbs and costing a little over £17 - so not a cheap dish at all when you take into account the low proportion of meat to the pound. Started at 0645 and eaten from 1335. Failed to turn on this occasion but rested for 10 minutes.

The cabbage and boiled rice worked well. The oxtail was good, but I think another hour or so would have been better: firm and succulent but soft, rather than firm and chewy. Maybe the extra time was needed for the extra meat.

The onions served as a base to lift the tail out of the liquor, but were not good eating. Now in the compost dustbin on the back patio, along with sundry bits of roast fat, awaiting transfer to the brick bin at the bottom of the garden.

The bones have now been hung up at the back of the garden, out of reach of any fox, to see what happens to them. Last time I hung anything, it took a long time for the bones to be cleaned, so not a food of choice for the sort of birds able to perch on hanging bones.

The fat and jelly (visible in its hot condition top right in the illustration above) was dumped on the back lawn this morning. The fat black cat was on the case in short order. Say for about five minutes, with it spending the next ten cleaning its whiskers. We will see what is left by lunchtime - with my bet being on the crows doing the business.

The nearest we come to roast beef these days.

Reference 1: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/first-communion.html.

Reference 2: http://www.tiamarialondon.com/. Once the Wheatsheaf, a traditional boozer which did beer and sandwiches, but, in this newer guise, the place where I first tried roast oxtail.