On Friday, Nov 7, 2003, at 16:01 US/Pacific, Marylee wrote:

> What is oxtail?  I know it's the vertebrae of a cow, but is it only the
> tail vertebrae, and is it only meat and bone, or does it contain a lot
> of
> cartilage or other connective tissue?
>
> Marylee
>
>
They're usually severed into sections, but it's the whole tail of the
cow, with sizes of vertebrae from teeny to huge. There is a lot of
connective tissue and disc material, which is why they make such great
soup. Very difficult to eat rare:) Cows exercise their tails
constantly, and so the meat is tough.

ginny