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Coda alla vaccinara (Roman braised oxtail)

By: Leonardo Pieri Buti

Published: 29 Aug 24
Updated: 18 Sep 24

Coda alla vaccinara (Roman braised oxtail)

Coda alla vaccinara is an iconic dish of Rome’s ‘quinto quarto’ (fifth quarter) cuisine, which focuses on offal cookery. The offal in question here is oxtail, a beautiful cut that melts and falls apart once slow-cooked, and pairs particularly well with celery. The large amount of cocoa powder gives the stew’s sauce an earthy depth, while the raisins add little pops of sweetness.

This recipe is by chef Leonardo Pieri Buti. He says “You can serve this as the main event, perhaps with some polenta, or remove the meat from the bones and use it as a ragù for pasta (in which case, make sure you grate over plenty of pecorino). I like eating this dish with my hands rather than cutlery; it tastes completely different! And be generous with the celery; coda alla vaccinara without celery is like the sky without stars.”

Chef Leonardo was born in Rome and moved to London aged 25, working in restaurants such as Margot and Casa Cruz. He’s executive chef at Paper Moon at The OWO in Whitehall.

Discover all there is to love about the food of Lazio, including its capital Rome, in our full food lover’s guide to the region.

Easy
September 2024

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Hands-on time 40 min. Simmering time 3-4 hours

Chef Leonardo was born in Rome and moved to London aged 25, working in restaurants such as Margot and Casa Cruz. He’s executive chef at Paper Moon at The OWO in Whitehall.

Discover all there is to love about the food of Lazio, including its capital Rome, in our full food lover’s guide to the region.

Nutrition: Per serving

Calories: 658kcals
Fat: 30g (12g saturated)
Protein: 53g
Carbohydrates: 35g (21g sugars)
Fibre: 7.3g
Salt: 1.8g

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Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil to fry
850g oxtail
50g guanciale (see Know-how), finely chopped
2 onions, finely sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
200g celery, finely sliced (use a mandoline if you have one), leaves reserved
150ml white wine
3 x 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
5 bay leaves
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cloves
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
30g golden raisins
100g fresh breadcrumbs

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Method

Pour a splash of olive oil into a large saucepan over a medium heat. Season the oxtail with a good amount of salt and pepper, then add to the pan and fry until browned all over. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, add another splash of oil followed by the guanciale, onions, garlic and most of the celery. Keep the remaining celery and celery leaves in very cold (ideally iced) water in the fridge to garnish the dish. Cook, stirring, for about 8 minutes, or until the onions and celery are soft.
Pour in the white wine, scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze, then simmer for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, oxtail, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves and cocoa. Stir, cover and cook over a low heat for 3-4 hours or until the meat is falling off the bones.

When the oxtail is meltingly tender, stir in the raisins and breadcrumbs, then season with salt and pepper to taste. The breadcrumbs should thicken the sauce, but if it still feels a little loose you can simmer uncovered for another 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning, then serve the stew garnished with the remaining celery and celery leaves.

Recipe from September 2024 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 658kcals
Fat: 30g (12g saturated)
Protein: 53g
Carbohydrates: 35g (21g sugars)
Fibre: 7.3g
Salt: 1.8g

delicious. tips

This dish will, like many slow-cooked braises, taste even better the next day. It’ll keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and freezes well (without the celery garnish).
Guanciale, which is also used in authentic carbonara, is cured pork jowl. You can get it from Italian delis, Ocado and online (Lidl often sells it during its monthly Italian week, too). You could substitute pancetta, though Romans would baulk at the very suggestion!