Today was a cold and rainy day, yuck. Since I had no outdoor opportunities, I headed to the kitchen. I used oxtail and beef ribs because that way I get the meatiness of the rib meat (the stuff from the prime rib) which I’ll use for a hash when it falls off the bone, plus the oxtail richness. Now, I don’t add a lot of salt, so you should make it to your taste. In past soups I have used yellow onions, but this time I used sweet onions. The overhaul was the herbs, thyme, and the sherry (a dry one) to cut through the fatty beef flavor. Lastly, I used toasted French bread to hide under the provolone instead of croutons which replaces some of the missing salt. I hope you like it.

2 pounds oxtail
3 pounds beef ribs
4 tablespoons olive oil
5 sweet onions, sliced in 1/4 inch slices
3 carrots, sliced in 1/2 inch pieces
3 stalks celery, sliced in 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon salt substitute
1 teaspoon Old Bay
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
3 cloves whole garlic
Provolone cheese
1 loaf French baguette

Preheat oven to 350.

Take a large oven-safe pan and coat with 1 tablespoon oil.

Rub ribs and oxtail with oil. Place in pan and add Old Bay, salt substitute, one onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and cloves and place in oven for 50 minutes.

In a stock pot, add ribs, ox tail, vegetables, and remaining onions. Add 8 cups water, thyme, bay leaves.

Add sherry. Simmer on medium low 2 to 3 hours until meat falls off the bone. Then remove bones and connective tissue.

Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs.

Skim fat if you want.

Remove big pieces of veggies.

Slice baguette in 1-inch slices. Toast to desired doneness.

Pour soup into serving dishes, top with bread and provolone.

Now if you have oven-safe bowls, toss them in the oven for 2 minutes. I don’t. Regular bowls may crack in the oven, leaving a mess.