# What is an ox? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 30, 2022, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518 "2022-09-30T20:51:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WellHelloThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9dc877/32.png) [@WellHelloThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WellHelloThere)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/1 "2022-09-30T20:51:52Z")
Today, a co-worker mentioned that he has seen ox tails, but never an ox. I replied, an ox is what they call cattle when they are used to pull stuff. Its just the tail of a regular cow. Another worker was certain that an ox is a different subspecies, and while I don’t think that is totally true I was wondering if there are specific ox breeds, or beef breeds, particularly in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/2 "2022-09-30T20:56:03Z")
> **[Ox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ox)** > > An ox /ˈɒks/ OKS (pl.: oxen, /ˈɒksən/ OK-sen), also known as a bullock (in BrE, AusE, and IndE), is a bovine, trained and used as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration inhibits testosterone and aggression, which makes the males docile and safer to work with. Cows (adult females) or bulls (intact males) may also be used in some areas. > Oxen are used for plowing, for transport (pulling carts, hauling wagons and even riding), for threshing grain by trampling, and ... > **[Oxtail](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxtail)** > > Oxtail (occasionally spelled ox tail or ox-tail) is the culinary name for the tail of cattle. While the word once meant only the tail of an ox, today it can also refer to the tails of other cattle. An oxtail typically weighs around 3.5 kilograms (8 pounds) and is skinned and cut into shorter lengths for sale. > Oxtail is a gelatin-rich meat, which is usually slow-cooked as a stew or braised. It is a traditional stock base for oxtail soup. Traditional preparations involve slow cooking, so some mode... > While the word once meant only the tail of an ox, today it can also refer to the tails of other cattle. ---
**Author:** ![WellHelloThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9dc877/32.png) [@WellHelloThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WellHelloThere)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/3 "2022-09-30T21:01:18Z")
Why would it matter what work the rest of the cow did while alive? Why not call it beef tail, like beef tongue for instance? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/4 "2022-09-30T21:12:55Z")
I didn’t name it, I just googled the answer for you. ---
**Author:** ![WellHelloThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9dc877/32.png) [@WellHelloThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WellHelloThere)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/5 "2022-09-30T21:17:07Z")
Thanks for your help ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/6 "2022-09-30T21:26:42Z")
Funny you should ask - I was just at a county fair a few weeks ago and saw an ox demonstration. It was massive and trained to wear a halter, which the guy led it around by. He (the guy, not the ox), explained the taxonomy of cattle and how it got to be an ox by way way of castration and training. There was actually a sign explaining all of it. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/7 "2022-09-30T21:31:45Z")
> [@WellHelloThere](#): > > I replied, an ox is what they call cattle when they are used to pull stuff. For all intents and purposes, you’re right. An ox is basically a working version of a steer. However [there are some people who get a lot more specific.](https://www.ruralheritage.com/ox_paddock/ox_whatis.htm) If you look at the list of breeds considered to be “oxen” you’ll find that many of them are also dairy breeds, including the Holstein, the most popular milk cow in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/8 "2022-09-30T21:33:46Z")
There were a lot more oxen around when oxtail was named. Castrated bulls trained as work animals were ubiquitous once. Now they just get eaten. Most likely your modern oxtail came from a steer, which is a castrated male raised for meat. ---
**Author:** ![WellHelloThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9dc877/32.png) [@WellHelloThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WellHelloThere)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/9 "2022-09-30T21:36:34Z")
Yeah, thanks. That is in line with what I wanted to know. Anyone who knows how the tail became ox tail (and not beef tail or something else) I would be interested to hear it ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/10 "2022-09-30T21:52:51Z")
We have an agreed with the Turkey Farm where we shop. They also raise and butcher a few cattle each year. The oxtails get wrapped and frozen, then they let us know and we pick one up. Oxtail soup is time consuming to make, but it is so good. ---
**Author:** ![WellHelloThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9dc877/32.png) [@WellHelloThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WellHelloThere)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/11 "2022-09-30T21:53:57Z")
How much meat is in an ox tail? Edit: And im sure you have to cook that thing forever ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/12 "2022-09-30T21:57:35Z")
Very little meat per se, but the joints are rich with cartilage and other gelatiny goodness so ideal for stews and rich soups. If you think about it, you don’t get all that much solid meat in a filling serving of soup or stew. ---
**Author:** ![WellHelloThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9dc877/32.png) [@WellHelloThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WellHelloThere)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/13 "2022-09-30T22:01:57Z")
It sounds like a good thing to make stock with, yeah ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/14 "2022-09-30T22:14:25Z")
As Joep-P’s link explained. Why oxtail? (One word seems to be the older and preferred variant.) Beef is derived from the French _boeuf_, which was brought in by the Norman invasion. Middle English _oxe_ existed at least a century earlier. Oxtail nevertheless is much more recent, seemingly from the late 17th century. Even so, oxtail would be peasant food, not the better parts of a cow. Those latter would be derived from French words and cheaper parts from English words. The peasants were the ones who worked with oxen and ate their parts when their were no longer useful. They likely were the ones who did the naming as well. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/15 "2022-09-30T22:15:52Z")
The meat itself is delicious with great texture, and the main ingredient in a variety of Latin, Caribbean, and Asian dishes. ---
**Author:** ![WellHelloThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9dc877/32.png) [@WellHelloThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WellHelloThere)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/16 "2022-09-30T22:19:55Z")
I can’t find anything in the wikipedia articles that says that. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/17 "2022-09-30T22:24:39Z")
Saw a couple of oxen driven down the street in Williamsburg many years back. Unimaginably huge. Really made an impression. ---
**Author:** ![WellHelloThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9dc877/32.png) [@WellHelloThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WellHelloThere)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/18 "2022-09-30T22:26:26Z")
I know about French names for types of meat. If you don’t know why an oxtail is called that, then just say that you think it is tasty. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/19 "2022-09-30T22:26:54Z")
I buy oxtail from Tesco - it’s fairly cheap. Cook in the slow cooker for three hours on low with assorted veg, some oxo cubes, herbs, soy sauce, salt and Worcester sauce. Fish the bones out, take off any meat still hanging on and put it back in before liquidising the lot. Let it cool and put it in the fridge so you can take the solidified fat off the top. Then freeze into portions as soup or stock. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518/20 "2022-09-30T22:26:59Z")
> [@WellHelloThere](#): > > Edit: And im sure you have to cook that thing forever No longer really than any braising cut like shank, chuck, or short rib. About 2-3 hours typically for me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ox/972518.md?page=2)