Hawaiian Oxtail Soup

1 . Stage

Parboil the oxtails, trim of excess fat: Fill half a large (5-quart) pot and bring to a boil. Add the oxtails, and parboil for 30 minutes. Drain the pot, and rinse the oxtails in water. Trim the oxtails of any excess fat.

2 . Stage

Simmer the oxtails for 1 hour: Return the oxtails to the pot. Cover with water by 1 inch. Add the orange peel, star anise, ginger, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 1 hour.

3 . Stage

Add the peanuts and simmer longer: Add the peanuts and simmer for 2 to 3 more hours, until the oxtail meat is tender and falling off the bone.

4 . Stage

Skim the fat: At this point, you can either skim the fat off the soup and proceed to the next step, or let the soup cool, and chill it overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, the fat will have solidified and will be easy to pull up from the top of the soup. The flavors will also be absorbed by the oxtails, if you let the soup sit overnight.

5 . Stage

Add the chili flakes and mustard greens: Bring the soup to a simmer again. Add the chili pepper flakes and mustard greens. Cook for 5 more minutes, or until the mustard greens are tender.

6 . Stage

Garnish to serve: Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, green onions, and freshly grated or julienned ginger. Serve with steamed white rice and a side of soy sauce for dipping. If you want, you can strip the meat off the bones before serving. We prefer the meat served bone-in, in which case, you will want to provide a bowl for the bones.