Oxtail Barley Soup

Preheat a heavy frying pan over medium-high heat and pour in oil. Place the oxtails inside and cook until they are nicely browned on all sides, taking around 3 minutes per side. Remove the oxtails from the pan and place them on paper towels to drain excess moisture.

Transfer the browned oxtails to a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Pour in water, bouillon, sazón, parsley, garlic, and pepper; bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the oxtails are tender, which should take about 1 hour. If needed, add more water to achieve the desired consistency.

Once the oxtails have cooled slightly, use a spoon or gravy separator to remove excess fat from the surface of the soup. Alternatively, pour some broth into a bowl or pitcher and refrigerate it until the grease solidifies. Remove the solidified grease from the surface with a spoon, then pour the broth back into the pot.

Add diced tomatoes and barley to the pot. Stir in potatoes, parsnip, onion, celery, carrot, mushrooms, and bay leaves; bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, which should take about 20 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, chop as much meat as possible from oxtail bones. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and add it back to the soup along with the oxtail bones. Simmer for another 20 minutes.

Before serving, remove the bones and bay leaves from the soup to serve.