Day 197

Oxtail Slider with Onion Jam: Much to my pleasure, this week has offered several new food surprises for me. It's great when I discover something totally by happenstance, and luckily that happened to me again tonight. Me and the GF were able to attend Atlanta Magazine's "Best Of Atlanta" party at the Cobb Galleria, which features vendor booths from all of the magazine's "best of" categories from this past year. The ticket proceeds go to charity, and with the price of admission comes the luxury of sampling unlimited food and drink from all of the featured restaurants and markets. We went last year as well, and while the food was great, I didn't expect to find anything brand new to me this year. Thankfully, I was wrong.

As we started navigating the numerous booths,  I noticed something early on that I'd never had before: oxtail. I know oxtail is a common ingredient in a lot of Jamaican and African cuisine, but this version from the Shed at Glenwood was featured on a slider with an onion jam topping. I'd been wanting to try oxtail (and their sliders) for awhile, so I was glad to finally see what the hype was about.

I pushed my way to the front of the line and grabbed one off the Shed's table, and we quickly moved to a quiet spot so I could try. The slider was constructed like any other sandwich, and a small amount of the onion jam was placed on top of the oxtail, which seemed to be pulled/shredded much like pork. I took a bite, and was impressed. The oxtail reminded me of pulled pork or beef pot roast, and had a slightly gamier flavor than either of those. The onion jam (which I don't think I've ever had either) provided a slightly sweet contrast to the meat, and overall, it was one of the better sandwiches I've had in awhile. I know the Shed has a "slider night" where they feature creative spins on them, so I should really put that on my food schedule soon.

Incidentally, oxtail doesn't come from an ox at all - it's actually cattle tail. It's usually slow-cooked or braised and apparently makes a good stock for soup. I'm glad I finally got to try it, and I hope to experience it again in another dish soon.