Many are believing that kangaroo tail meat is being presented as oxtail, because of the visual differences of the bones. Local Brampton Chef, Jayden Bailey weighs in on the debate and how to determine good oxtail. (Courtesy: @entreesbyjay_)
An online discussion about whether kangaroo meat is being substituted for oxtail has gone viral, with a variety of opinions circulating.
A post which has over two million views is adding to the discourse, after a man called out a local Houston restaurant for allegedly selling him what he was convinced was not oxtail.
The creator attached a photo in the video comparing oxtail and kangaroo tail side by side to highlight their visual differences. The debate is over the bone structure and how they differ as a kangaroo tail bone appears as a star shape that sections the meat, and an oxtail bone is round in the middle.
Others have also been taking to social media to post their oxtail meals that they purchased from other restaurants where the bone was star-shaped, in which they are also now convinced is kangaroo meat.
Chef Jaden Bailey, also known as Chef Jay, is private chef and caterer from Brampton who is also of Jamaican descent, and he clarified what oxtail should look like.
“I think when it comes to the oxtail, it should be round and thick. There are different types of cuts of oxtail where you get like, the kind of small round ones, or you get the actual big size oxtails,” Bailey tells The Brandon Gonez Show.
He also shares that he is fairly certain that he has not purchased kangaroo meat that was advertised as oxtail.
“The people that I buy from, It comes from the sources out in Jamaica as well as other sources. And I actually talk to my butchers and get this where the source is coming from, so I know that it’s actually oxtail,” Bailey said.
Noting that this kangaroo versus oxtail debate is more prevalent in the United States rather than in Canada, he does recommend going to an authentic Jamaican restaurant in order to assure you are receiving good oxtail.
“I’m pretty sure a lot of the authentic Jamaican stores, especially in Toronto, they sell straight oxtail, no kangaroo tail,” he said.
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Some people online do not believe that kangaroo meat is being sold in place of oxtail, one reason being they think kangaroo would be a lot more expensive and harder to get.
“Yes, tell everyone it’s kangaroo. Make the oxtail prices go down!” commented a user on The Brandon Gonez Show post.
Many are also not bothered by the chance of this being true, admitting that they wouldn’t mind eating kangaroo meat.
“Kangaroo or not, I eatin it same way. So put my extra kangaroo gravy on my rice and peas please,” said another user.
Bailey also admitted that he wouldn’t mind if it tasted just as good.
“Whether you’re eating oxtail or kangaroo tail, if it’s cooked the right way, how oxtail’s supposed to be made, I would still eat it, in my opinion.”
