Whatever the origin it has now apparently become a generic name for any beef tail.
Beef tail soup doesn't have that ring though, does it?

Are any other cuts also called Ox, or is it only the tail?

Maybe some other cuts could be "upgraded" to Ox, I'd love an Ox Steak, some Ox ribs or even Ox and Ale pie!

Just musing off the top of my head, but we call beef from the Norman French boeuf but cow comes from the anglo saxon. Same as pork/pig(porc), mutton/sheep(mouton) iirc.
So my theory is the new rulers got to eat the animal, whilst us saxon peasants were more likely just looking after them. But an exception might be the tail - which the toffs wouldn't be interested in so the name is Saxon, not Norman?

edit

Damn - just realised that the french for cow is vache - which gave us the word veal, not beef! Dunno if that invalidates my pet theory...

The sauce is lovely.

Slow cook it the day before.
Put it in the fridge, so the fat solidifies, then you can remove the excess fat much easier.

Alternatively, trim the excess fat from the oxtail pieces before cooking.

Beef liver is always sold as either calves' liver or ox liver.

Yes, I've never had a problem with the sauce being too fatty. I do tend to do the browning and sautéeing in a different pan though, rather than using the casserole for everything. I lift out the veg and bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer it to the casserole. That leaves quite a bit of the oil and fat behind. This is the recipe I use, not sure where it came from.

Oxtail Casserole

Serves four

1kg oxtail, joints separated
150g smoked lardons
2 medium carrots
1 large onion
4 stalks celery
5 cloves garlic
1 bouquet garni
1 bottle red wine
150ml beef stock
2 generous tablespoons tomato purée
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 can butter beans
Salt and pepper
Parsley to garnish
Olive oil

Dice the onion, carrot and celery into small, even cubes, and slice the garlic finely. Set aside. Heat some olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan, and brown the oxtail carefully all over. Remove the oxtail to a plate. Fry the lardons in the pan until they start to crisp and release their fat. Lower the heat to low/medium and add the diced vegetables and garlic to the pan. Sauté, moving around vigorously, until the onions and celery are softening and have turned translucent. Return the oxtail and any juices to the pan, stir well to mix, and pour over the wine and stock with a teaspoon of salt and a generous amount of pepper. Add the bouquet garni, tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar to the pan and bring to a gentle simmer, turn the heat right down, pop the lid on and leave to cook gently for four hours, stirring every now and again.

At the end of the cooking time, reduce the sauce with the lid off a little if you'd like it even thicker and richer. Drain the can of beans, and add them to the casserole, simmering for fifteen minutes. The meat will be falling away from the bone easily.

Shame it's so bloody expensive now!

Ox Heart and Ox Tongue

Thanks!

Not cuts that I plan to buy, but good to know it isn't only the tail.

I'm quite keen on Ox Cheeks, so I'm surprised I didn't remember these myself.

I know!! That's those 'trendy' chefs for you. I saw a report on 'trendy' porridge the other day. £5 a bowl, complete with 'apple compote' or 'organic chocolate chips'. Grrrr!

We get our oxtail from our butcher. It tends to be better quality than the supermarket.