Tried to get this today and my Sainsburys said no. So I tried a couple of local butchers but they said no too. (bit like Little Britain) They said they would have to order it ??????

I asked how much they would charge and was astonished at the price for what is a cheap unwanted bit of the animal.

Has it become a rich man's food all of a sudden?

(Maybe Lord Heston is researching the cut in his lab and so now all the top restaurants want it?)

ALSO does anyone have any oxtail ideas for meals apart from the obvious oxtail soup

Tried again today - still no luck. Anyone any ideas?

I have to order oxtail from my butcher too, they cost about £8.00 - depends on the size. Must admit I only do a stew with it tho..

if there's a Caribbean take away near you - you could go in and ask them where they get theirs from.
Have to admit I've not tried it yet - but it's next on my list.

Does Caribbean cuisine use oxtail then?

A friend of mine swears that they've seen in it larger branches of Tesco, but I've got my doubts... I get mine from a farm shop - they also do trotters and pig tails for a delicious ham and pea soup.

Oxtail does seem fairly expensive for what it is. The last lot I got was just over £7 for about 1.2kg frozen (fresh was about £1/kg more).

I only really do soups and stews with it myself - I made a delicious Oxtail, Rioja and Chorizo stew last weekend.

Tesco here in Ireland do it in big shops, I got about 5 pieces for 10 euros earlier in the year,it was cut into rounds rather than whole though. easily a kilo in it. I did it in the slow cooker as a stew, I loved it but had to remove the gelatin from the tops of the bones before serving or else OH would have heaved.
I hadn't seen it before but then I hadn't been looking for it either, my local butcher said the same as yours, he will get it in if you order it.
Fine dining has always made a killing with things like lamb shanks-20 euros a portion in my local mid range restaurant I get them for 1.50 a piece.
Oxtails will probably go the same way with the recession.

Yes try Tesco, 5.99 euros a kg for oxtail, saw them earlier today, I'd be interested to see what they charge in the UK

Looks like I'm off across the Irish sea with a cool box then

Ridiculous that we cannot get them over here. WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY GOING? Nobody seems to know?

Yes.
One of my favourite Jamaican dishes is Oxtails with broad beans or kidney beans (a stew). Its delicious. Served with rice.

I live in South-West London and it is easy to come by. Most butchers around here have it (halal butchers).

Didn't oxtail get banned a few years back during the mad cow scare?

Where do you live?

I'm sure it did, it wasn't available for ages.

We sometimes get it round here, but it is a bit expensive for the amount of meat on it.

Do you mean me?

My local butchers are in Balham, Tooting Bec/Broadway and Streatham.
Easy to get in Brixton too.

If you know anybody Irish coming home for Crimbo ask them to get some vacuum packed for you-if its not illegal Did you ask in Tesco? They might do them for you cheaper than the butchers.

The butchery stalls in Victoria market here in Nottingham sell whole ox tail - I didn't notice the price though - I'll not be bothering if its as expensive as £9 a kilo for fresh!
They also sell the other cheap cuts like pork belly and mutton that we are supposed to be eating in these recessionary times - but in fact are about as easy to track down as hens teeth

Thought it was meant to be a cheap cut ???

We need to get a butcher on here to explain where all the oxtail is going to??

Waitrose usally stock oxtail cut into segments

Any idea of price?

£1.99 a kilo Wolverhampton Market

Unless my eyesight is wrong I also saw pheasants at £1.99 a bird

£1.99 a kilo! Bargin! (are you sure that wasn't per pound, littlefor?)
Went back to Victoria market, Nottingham to day - £5.30 a kilo for oxtail. They also had something called beef short rib at £3.50 a kilo but that looked rather fatty.

Oxtail stew tonight - with dumplings

Do Morrisons have it? I've seen bones for stock in there, and I'm sure they had oxtail too (they seem to sell more cuts of meat than any other supermarket).

I've bought oxtail quite easily from Sainsbury's a few times. And yes, it's weirdly expensive!

I've never cooked it, but I think there's a Nigel Slater recipe for braised oxtail. I'd google.

Just thought as to why it might be so expensive. Do the comercial soup-makers get it all? - hence the national shortage.

So let me get this straight, it's a cows tail right? The reason I ask is i've never cooked it.
After reading this thread though, it's going on my menu!