Oxtail barley soup is a hearty offering that can be enjoyed winter or summer as a soup or main course with a salad and rye bread. It spans the boundaries of eastern european countries and can be found in most kitchens. Oxtails are beef tails and are a delicious meat source. You can eat the meat right off the bone or debone the cooked oxtails and add the meat back to the soup. This is a prime candidate for a slow cooker or pressure cooker.