Griffin Speaks

OXTAILS

I have been blessed to work for several great black men. My current boss, Mr. Sidney T. Williams, Chairman of the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles is among that number. Mr. Williams is considered by many to be one of the most powerful men in Alabama. He was appointed to his current position by my former boss, Governor Don Siegleman on October 29, 2001, and named chairman of the Board on that same date. Mr. Williams is married to the lovely Mrs. Dorothy Taylor Williams and they have 6 children, 12 grandchildren, and 4 great-grand children. 

Chairman Sidney T. Williams controls a thirty-seven million three hundred forty-seven thousand five hundred thirty-four dollar budget. He oversees a department of four hundred and eighteen employees. He is a wonderful boss and there is never a dull moment. He is fair, but very demanding. He insists that the “t”s are crossed and the “i”s are dotted. He is by anyone’s standards an excellent Administrator. On a scale of 1 to 10 he is an eleven! 

A few weeks ago as his Chief Legal Counsel I was sitting in one of our daily high-powered briefings when the conversation shifted to “Oxtails”! Mr. Williams a former Master Chef at the Holiday Inn told me that he was going to fix him some good old Oxtails for dinner. I had never heard of Oxtails so I became very curious. Mr. Williams told me how to prepare them with onions and bell peppers.

 When I went to find the Oxtails I was amazed at how expensive they were. One local grocery store had them priced at $8.00 a pound. My momma taught me that you have to shop around.  I did shop around and found them at Food Fair on Fairview Avenue for $2.99 a pound. I went home and cooked the Oxtails according to my boss’s recipe. My wife, kids and me loved them. I decided to do some research on that wonderful dish. 

In the good old days oxtails did come from Oxen, but now they are simply the tails of cows. I assume that since a cow only has one tail this is why they are so expensive. People have been eating oxtails every since they began eating beef, when no part of the animal went to waste. 

Today top chefs around the world are utilizing oxtails. Older customers are elated and younger customers consider it exotic meat. Oxtails make the most flavorful beef stock. If you want the most intense beef flavor try oxtails. Most people are aware that Lowndes County is known for producing great cooks. My wife, Debra a native of Lowndes County is one of those great cooks. I have found an old Lowndes County recipe for Oxtail soup: 

Ingredients: 3lbs of oxtails, 8 cups water, 8 med potatoes, pared and cut into 8ths, 2 onions, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp creole seasoning. Boil oxtails in water for 4 hours until nice and tender. Add seasoning; add potatoes when meat is tender.

 I am grateful to my boss for turning me on to a wonderful dish!

 Greg Griffin is a free lance writer. You can read his previous articles by visiting his web page at www.greggriffin.com