Beef Bouillon Soup from Oxtails

Ingredients

• 3 lbs oxtails dry
• 6 servings salt and pepper 
• 2  onions peeled quartered
• 2  carrots cut into 1-inch sections
• 1 strips orange zest with a vegetable peeler
• 1 cup cooking wine dry white
• 4 quarts water 
• 0.3 cup cranberries fresh (if in season, otherwise use a quarter of a lemon)
• 10 oz mushrooms chopped
• 3 ribs celery cut into 1-inch sections
• 4 sprigs thyme or dried
• 1  bay leaf 
• 4  cloves 
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• paper towels
• ladle
• oven
• pot
• sieve
• roasting pan
• stove
• cheesecloth

Directions

1. Roast the oxtails, carrots, onions: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Pat dry the oxtails with paper towels and put them in a roasting pan.
2. Sprinkle on all sides with salt and pepper.
3. Add the carrots, onions, and zest. Roast in the middle rack, turning the oxtails as the are browned.
4. Once browned, remove from oven and place the oxtails and vegetables into a large stockpot.
5. Deglaze the roasting pan:
6. Place the roasting pan on the stovetop on medium high heat.
7. Add the wine to the pan to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits.
8. Simmer the oxtails and other ingredients:
9. Add the deglazing liquid to the stockpot with the oxtails.
10. Add the cranberries, mushrooms, celery, thyme, bay leaf, cloves, and peppercorns.
11. Bring the liquid to a boil, skimming whatever foam rises to the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 3 hours.
12. Strain the bouillon from the oxtails: Ladle the mixture through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or paper towels into a large bowl.
13. Reserve the oxtails for another use, such as oxtail pate. Discard the remaining solids.
14. The bouillon can be made 3 days in advance and kept chilled. Discard excess fat (leave enough to cover soup when chilled).