CAB Cooks

Back when the weather was still a bit cool, I finally made oxtail soup in the pressure cooker. I followed the recipe but only added 2 cups of broth. I can’t find my notes on cooking time but if my memory is correct, I cooked it for 45 minutes. These are the oxtails just before the pressure cooker lid went on.

The oxtails cooked about 5 minutes too long because the meat was falling off the bone. I like the meat to still have some cling. So how did it compare to the stove-top version? Well, it was good but the oxtail and broth lacked the depth of flavor that the stove-top version has. I was a bit surprised that the oxtail didn’t taste as rich since it was browned before cooking. Not sure if it’s because it was cooked a little too long or because of the pressure cooker but nonetheless, it just wasn’t as succulent. I’m guessing the broth was a bit lacking because it didn’t reduce down, which would have intensified the beefy flavor. Overall it was good but I think I’ll stick to the stove-top method. I think in order to get achieve the same depth would add more time to the whole process, which kind of defeats the whole purpose of using a pressure cooker. I don’t know, I might try it one more time with some adjustments.

BTW, the noodles in the first picture were actually kelp noodles (which are Paleo/Primal friendly). The texture is very similar to Asian cellophane (bean thread) noodles. It doesn’t absorb liquid and flavor as readily as cellophane noodles but is a very good substitute. It needs to be kept in the fridge and unused portions will keep for a long time in water.