Here are some final tips to make choosing and cooking oxtail easier: Use a pound of oxtail per person; 3-3.5 pounds (bone included) should be enough for three adults. Let oxtail cook as long as possible in a slow cooker for meat that falls off the bone.

Why is it more expensive to make an oxtail dish now? It's simple supply and demand. Each cow only has around six pounds of viable oxtail to go around, compared to the other 400 plus pounds of viable cuts you can get from the rest of the cow.

After all, there is only one tail per cow. (If you have difficulty finding oxtails in your locale, you can substitute meaty veal or beef neck, short rib, shank, or other various soup bones, but do not expect quite as robust a flavor.)

Turkey necks give you the same tender, fall-off-the-bone results as oxtail for a fraction of the price.