Coda alla Vaccinara
A classic Roman braised oxtail stew simmered slowly with copious celery, tomatoes, wine, and a hint of dark chocolate and raisins.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 240 min
- Total
- 265 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 760 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or earthenware pot
- •Chef's knife
- •Chopping board
- •Tongs
- •Small saucepan
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 760 kcal
- fat
- 52 g
- carbs
- 18 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 54 g
- calories
- 760 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil and diced guanciale in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until the fat renders.
- 2
Add the oxtail pieces and sear deeply on all sides for ten minutes until richly browned, then transfer to a plate.
- 3
Add the chopped onion, carrot, garlic, and finely diced celery to the rendered fat in the pot.
- 4
Cook the soffritto gently for eight minutes until the vegetables are soft, sweet, and lightly golden.
- 5
Return the oxtail to the pot, add the whole cloves, and season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
- 6
Pour in the white wine and boil vigorously for five minutes until the alcohol smell dissipates and liquid reduces.
- 7
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly, and simmer for three hours.
- 8
Blanch the thick celery batons in boiling salted water for five minutes, then drain well.
- 9
Dissolve the cocoa powder in two tablespoons of hot braising liquid from the pot until smooth.
- 10
Stir the cocoa mixture, blanched celery batons, soaked raisins, and pine nuts into the stew.
- 11
Simmer uncovered for thirty minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy and the meat falls away from bone.
Chef's tips
Do not rush the braising time; oxtail has dense connective tissue that requires at least three to four hours to become gelatinous and tender. Celery is the defining aromatic of this dish, so use crisp, fresh heads with leaves. Leftover sauce is traditionally tossed with rigatoni or paccheri the following day for an exceptional primo.
Ingredient substitutions
- guanciale → pancetta or lard, though guanciale provides authentic Roman depth
- dry white wine → dry red wine for a deeper, more robust sauce profile
Storage
Keep cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days; the flavours improve markedly overnight.
Reheating
Reheat slowly in a covered saucepan over low heat with a splash of water until piping hot throughout.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding all the celery at the beginning, which causes the garnish pieces to disintegrate into mush.
- •Failing to brown the oxtail thoroughly, resulting in a pale sauce lacking roasted depth.
- •Boiling the stew too vigorously instead of keeping it at a barely perceptible, gentle simmer.
Serving suggestions
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