I was raised on ox tails, neck bones, shank...hocks...all sorts of beans and every green (poor White Southern that is, mustard, chard, collard; turnip). The food that is now virtually unaffordable (pack of ox tails are 24.00 usd) was nearly given away back in the 60-70's.
Sheeeit, we even made soup- damned good soup out of knuckle bones. Like most poor kids I didn't know I was poor, seemed to me we ate great stuff. I just knew all the other kids were mean to me.
My mom used to but neck bones in her pasta sauce. It was really good. Now they are expensive AF for what they are. It used to be scrap that no one wanted. I never had an ox tail, but those are crazy prices as well.
Yeah good times. Ox tails are ridiculous. You cook them a long time and you get this insane rich sweet meat and all this gluey rich collagenous stuff- sounds gross and maybe it is, but, oxtail is really delicious.