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August 1, 2026Short & citedBlog
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Everyday Life • Food & Drink

Oxtail

Oxtail is the culinary name for the tail of cattle, sold skinned and usually cut into crosswise sections for cooking.

Updated August 1, 20261 min readCited sources

Oxtail is the culinary name for the tail of cattle, sold skinned and cut into sections. It is prized for its rich, gelatinous texture and deep beef flavour in slow-cooked dishes.

What is oxtail?

Oxtail is the skinned tail of a beef animal, typically sold cut into short crosswise pieces with the bone in the centre. Although the name originally referred specifically to an ox, it now commonly means the tail of cattle in general. It contains lots of collagen and connective tissue, which gives it a unique gelatinous texture when cooked slowly.

Cooking methods

Because oxtail is a tough cut with significant connective tissue, it is usually browned first and then cooked slowly until tender. Traditional braising can take several hours, while pressure cooking is a common faster shortcut. The high collagen content helps create a thick, silky broth when cooked for a long time, making it ideal for soups, stews, and braises.

Availability and nutrition in Canada

Oxtail is available in Canadian butcher shops, supermarkets, and many Caribbean, African, and East Asian restaurants, where it is used in stews and soups. Nutritionally, it is protein-rich but can be relatively high in fat due to bone marrow and connective tissue. Its healthfulness depends on portion size and preparation method.

In short

  • Oxtail is the tail of cattle, not just oxen.
  • It is sold skinned and cut into short bone-in sections.
  • High collagen content makes it gelatinous when slow-cooked.
  • Common in stews, soups, and braised dishes.
Canadian angle

Oxtail is available in Canadian butcher shops, supermarkets, and many Caribbean, African, and East Asian restaurants in Canada, where it is used in stews and soups.

Quick questions

What is oxtail?
Oxtail is the culinary name for the tail of cattle, usually sold skinned and cut into pieces for cooking.
How to cook oxtail?
The usual method is to brown it first, then braise or simmer it slowly until the meat becomes tender and the connective tissue breaks down.
How long to cook oxtail in a pressure cooker?
The provided sources confirm that pressure cookers are used as a shortcut, but they do not give one exact standard time. In practice, oxtail is usually cooked under pressure until very tender, often far faster than the 3 to 4 hours needed for stovetop braising.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxtail
    Supports: Definition, cattle origin, typical preparation, slow-cooking use, pressure-cooker note
  2. WebstaurantStore — https://www.webstaurantstore.com/blog/5388/what-is-oxtail.html
    Supports: Oxtail as beef tail, composition, low-and-slow cooking guidance
  3. Allrecipes — https://www.allrecipes.com/what-is-oxtail-8648701
    Supports: Origin from cow tail and slow-cooking method
  4. Grassland Beef — https://discover.grasslandbeef.com/blog/what-is-oxtail/
    Supports: Origin, braising use, general nutritional and cooking overview
  5. Cuisine at Home — https://www.cuisineathome.com/tips/what-is-oxtail/
    Supports: Cattle tail definition, gelatin-rich texture, soup/stew use
  6. Merriam-Webster — https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oxtail
    Supports: Dictionary definition of oxtail as the tail of a beef animal
  7. BBC Food — https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/beef_oxtail
    Supports: Slow cooking time of at least three hours and culinary use in soups/stews
  8. Mashed — https://www.mashed.com/393710/what-is-oxtail-really/
    Supports: Fat, calories, protein, and collagen-related texture