Paleo Oxtail Stew with Bone Broth

Have you tried oxtail before? 

If not, you're missing out on a tasty, nutritious cut of meat. Oxtail tastes sort of like beef short ribs, but has much more flavor. 

Slow cooked and broken down until deliciously tender, you’ll want to add add oxtail to your list of approved proteins. 

And because this stew is made with simple ingredients, the natural oxtail flavor shines through in the end product.

Go straight to the recipe

What Is Oxtail?

If you haven't tried oxtail before, you might be wondering what it is. 

Oxtail is meat from the tail of a cattle. It’s full of fat, which means the meat inside becomes insanely tender and flavor when it's cooked down. One serving of this soup has over 30 grams of protein in it.

Perhaps the best part about this recipe is that it's made with a slow cooker. You have two options: 

1. You can "set it and forget it" before work and come home to a hot meal, or 
2. Throw it in the slow cooker overnight and bring leftovers to work. 

It's an amazing meal on a cold fall or winter day, but may be even better when heated up. Guess you'll have to try both and see.

You can keep it low-carb and serve it over zoodles, or serve it with a baked sweet potato. However you choose to eat it, though, the recipe makes 3 servings. That means there's enough for the family or plenty of leftovers for the next few lunches or dinners.

Now let's look at why bone broth—one of the ingredients in this stew—is a no-brainer not only for flavor, but for health benefits.

Why Bone Broth is a Must-Add To Your Diet

This oxtail stew recipe uses FBOMB's Grass-Fed Bone Broth. Free of hormones, additives, and other junk, this bone broth contains absolutely no carbs—perfect if you're on a low-carb diet like keto, or a whole-foods diet like paleo.

Bone broth contains micronutrients and minerals like calcium, and may even have an anti-inflammatory effect when consumed regularly[*]. We’ve fortified FBOMB Bone Broth with added electrolytes, which helps hydrate your cells and replenish crucial minerals. 

One container of FBOMB's bone broth contains 300 grams of protein. Each serving has 10 grams, which makes bone broth an awesome addition to any post workout meal. Protein helps repair muscles and has a satiating effect, meaning it will keep you full longer after you eat[*][*].

The real champion of bone broth, though, is collagen. Collagen is the main protein in all of our bodies that makes up various connective tissues ( muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, and even the lining of your heart)[*].

As we get older, collagen production declines[*]. Supplementing it in your diet can help keep your skin healthy, joints strong, and even promote heart health.

In the next section we'll look at the plentiful benefits of collagen.

Top 5 Benefits of Collagen

One of the only dietary sources of collagen is bone broth, which is what makes this delicious broth a win. Here are 5 benefits of collagen:

• Supports skin health[*]. Collagen helps keep your skin hydrated and supple. After all, it's used in many topical products to help prevent wrinkles. Eating collagen-rich foods works the same way.
• Strengthens and repairs muscles[*]. Other than the big dose of protein you get with each serving—don't forget, the oxtails are protein-packed, too— collagen has been shown to improve muscular strength after challenging workouts. 
• Strengthens bones and helps decrease bone loss[*]. Sometimes we forget that bone is a tissue, just like muscles or ligaments. As hard as bone tissue is, it's also made up primarily of collagen. Not only does collagen help increase bone density, but it also helps prevent the amount you naturally lose as you age.
• Promotes heart health[*]. It's even easier to forget that your cardiovascular system—the heart, lungs, and miles of blood vessels—in the human body are all technically forms of connective tissue, too. Collagen helps keep this vast network of tissue strong, too.
• Supports joint health and reduces inflammation[*]. Your body's joints, like your hips, shoulders, ankles and knees, need to stay strong in order to be healthy. Collagen plays a role in keeping tissues here strong, and has a mild anti-inflammatory effect, which may alleviate joint pain.

Basically, your body is full of collagen. In fact, it's the single most abundant protein in your body[*]. Making a dish like this oxtail stew that's packed with it is not only delicious, but seriously good for you.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds oxtail
• 1 tablespoon five spice powder
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 whole garlic bulb, minced, divided
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 4 scoops FBOMB Bone Broth (flavor of your choice)
• 1 cup water
• 1 (14 oz) can full-fat coconut milk
• 1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 4 large carrots, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 4 bunches bok choy
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• 1 lime (Optional)
• Red chili peppers (Optional)

Preparation

1. In a bowl, mix together the five spice powder, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt together. Add in the oxtail pieces and coat each piece completely. Add in half of the minced garlic and minced ginger and toss together until each piece is coated.
2. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and broil the oxtail pieces on high for 15 minutes in the oven. You will know they are done when the outer rim is slightly charred and the rest of it is golden brown and slightly crispy.
3. While the oxtail is in the oven, boil the water and dissolve four scoops of FBOMB bone broth into it. You will see clumps form, which is normal. Once the bone broth is dissolved, add in the can of coconut milk and let it simmer until it is evenly mixed. Add in the tomato paste and turmeric and stir until incorporated.
4. In a slow cooker, add in your chopped onions, carrots and celery, bell peppers, and the remaining chopped garlic. Squeeze in lime juice to taste. You can also add in chili peppers in this step if you want to add a spicy kick to your stew.
5. Remove the oxtails from the oven and lay them on top of the veggies. Slowly pour in the bone broth mixture. 
6. Cook on high for 5 hours. Check in about halfway through and add salt as needed. When done, the meat should be fall-off-the-bone tender and the liquid should be of a thicker consistency. 
7. When you’re ready to serve, quickly blanch the bok choy and serve on top of the stew. You can garnish with freshly cut bell peppers for a crunch. 
8. Serve by placing one oxtail into a bowl and adding vegetables and broth. You can also serve this stew on top of zoodles or inside of a baked sweet potato. 

Yield: 3 

Serving Size: 1 oxtail + ⅓ of vegetables 

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours

Nutrition facts per serving

Calories: 412  

Fat: 20g (44%)

Protein: 30.5g (29%)

Carbs: 28.7g (27%)

Fiber: 7.1g

Net Carbs: 21.6g