像果凍的牛尾湯

打電話跟一興聊天, 反問我牛尾湯的做法.

其實我也是自己亂摸索, 做成差不多的牛尾湯. 

大牛不敢吃同類的牛尾, 每次都陪我們喝湯.  牛尾膠質多, 是很好的膠質來源.  所以, 就在這裡大概的說給一興聽:

Ingredients:
1 package of ox's tails, chopped and pre-processed of the grease about 8 big chunks.  一包切好去油的牛尾.
1 onion sliced (not a must item). 一個洋蔥切絲
2 large tomatoes sliced.兩個大蕃茄切片
1 Russell potatoes, cut into large cubes 一個大馬鈴薯切大塊
1/2 head of cabbage, cut out the big stems, cut the leaves to about an inch wide.半顆高麗菜去大梗切大塊.
 2 carrots cut 1" wide.  兩根胡蘿蔔切大塊丁

All ingredients can be adjusted in quantity according to your preference.  Cabbage can be replaced by celery, cut to 2" length.


1) 汌燙牛尾.  Boil a pot of water, enough to cover the ox's tail meat.  When boiling, put in the ox's tails.  Drain the water out when the meat surface is about to turn white and you don't see the blood.

2) 撇掉滾水中的雜質再改成中火.  Prepare a pot of water (enough to cover the ox's tails again).  Put in the ox's tail chunks.  Cook it till the water boils and use a soup spoon to take out the ugly stuff floating on the surface of water as much as you can, turn the heat to medium.

3) 用另一平底鍋用一點奶油炒香洋蔥.  Use a flat pan and a little bit butter to stir fry the onions until the fragrance comes out. 不喜歡洋蔥者省略.  You don't have to add onion if you don't like it.

4) 把洋蔥和蕃茄(若加芹菜, 也一起加入) 加入牛尾湯中大火滾後, 繼續用小火滾一小時, 可加米酒去腥.  Put tomatoes and onions (if using celery, add it in as well) into the pot and turn the heat up until it boils again, then turn it to low heat but the soup is still boiling constantly.  Cook it for an hour.  You can add cooking wine to get rid of the raw smell of the meat.

5) 加入胡蘿蔔和高麗菜, 繼續小火滾半小時.  可加一點醬油把湯的顏色變黃一點.  可加糖和鹽.  不過建議不要太鹹, 等要吃時再真正調味.  Add in carrots, keep it boiling (lowest heat that will keep it boiling) for 1/2 hour.  You can add in a little bit soy sauce to make the soup color look golden.  Add in some sugar and salt to what you like.  I would suggest not too much salt and you can adjust the taste when you eat. 

6) 今天功課完了.  冷後冰冰箱一夜.  OK.  It's done for today's work.  Wait for it to cool down and put it in refrig. overnight.

7) 第二天拿出, 用湯匙撇掉上層的油脂.  Take it out the 2nd day and scrape off the top grease on the surface.

8) 再小火煮半小時或更久後, 加入馬鈴薯煮到馬鈴薯表層要碎掉就好了.  Cook 1/2 hour or longer in slow heat that will boil.  Then add in potatoes and cook for another 1/2 hour until the potato cubes are about to break.  It's done.

Tips:
a.  牛尾煮到骨頭好像要散掉時, 膠質都滾在湯裡了.  可以小火熬煮久一點.  The fully cooked ox tail chunks will be about to break.  At that time, the soup will be the best.  So, cook it with extra moments before you put in potatoes if you have time.

b.  蔬菜以耐煮的程度先後放入.  芹菜不要和高麗菜一起做.  The veggies are to be added in the sequence of their cooking time needed.  Don't use celery and cabbage together.  They don't match well.

c. 煮湯水只不要貪多.  Soup should be more than the ingredients but not too watery.

d. 趁熱吃.  Eat it while it's hot.

Conclusion:
中文真是簡潔傳意多了~  Chinese is so easy to express in short sentences......