Oxtail Expenses

[liuzhou]

Image from Meituan online shopping app, China

 

Recent mentions in the Dinner 2025 topic regarding oxtail pricing has got me thinking. I had a look at the price here (I haven’t bought any for a while). Given the relative purchasing power of the relevant currencies, it is actually more expensive here than in N. America, but then not so much cattle here.

 

But that is not my main point here. I have developed an untested, but I believe plausible, theory for oxtail being relatively expensive. In the past, it was considered poor people’s food and when even available, was cheap. In the 2000s, celebrity chefs such as Heston Blumenthal began to use cheap cuts more and they became a sort of fashion, driving up prices of many previously shunned foods.

 

Also, each animal only has one tail! And that tail doesn’t provide a lot of food compared to the rest of the beast, again adding a scarcity premium to the costing.

 

Heston Blumenthal Recipe: The twist in the tail | Life and style | The Guardian

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Smithy]

I think you're probably right as to the reasons. We've seen that happen, at least in the USA, with other cheap cuts of beef and, for that matter, chicken wings. When peasant food becomes chic it becomes more expensive. I hadn't thought about the relative scarcity factor, though. One tail out of all that carcass is pretty slim pickings. Reason to raise the price? Yes, if it's chic.

[liuzhou]

If it's any consolation, donkey tail is even more expensive!

[gfweb]

13 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Image from Meituan online shopping app, China

 

Recent mentions in the Dinner 2025 topic regarding oxtail pricing has got me thinking. I had a look at the price here (I haven’t bought any for a while). Given the relative purchasing power of the relevant currencies, it is actually more expensive here than in N. America, but then not so much cattle here.

 

But that is not my main point here. I have developed an untested, but I believe plausible, theory for oxtail being relatively expensive. In the past, it was considered poor people’s food and when even available, was cheap. In the 2000s, celebrity chefs such as Heston Blumenthal began to use cheap cuts more and they became a sort of fashion, driving up prices of many previously shunned foods.

 

Also, each animal only has one tail! And that tail doesn’t provide a lot of food compared to the rest of the beast, again adding a scarcity premium to the costing.

 

Heston Blumenthal Recipe: The twist in the tail | Life and style | The Guardian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think that that is exactly right.  Same thing with short ribs.

 

Fortunately, ethnic markets in the US have prices for oxtail that aren't as crazy.

[weinoo]

38 minutes ago, gfweb said:

I think that that is exactly right.  Same thing with short ribs.

And can certainly name a few others (hangar, skirt, et al.)

 

I think I can get oxtail at my Dominican butcher for around $13 - $14/lb. Does that sound right?

[rotuts]

and the tails these days are not even from Ox :   a much older , thus tastier , beast of burden.

 

 

[gfweb]

37 minutes ago, weinoo said:

And can certainly name a few others (hangar, skirt, et al.)

 

I think I can get oxtail at my Dominican butcher for around $13 - $14/lb. Does that sound right?

Wow.  Sounds like NYC pricing.  I'll have to check what we'd pay.  Guessing its ~$9/lb.  Short ribs here are $10.49/lb in the supermarket.