Coda alla Vaccinara
Coda alla vaccinara is one of Rome’s defining comfort foods, a slow-braised oxtail dish that includes or omits pine nuts, raisins, and cocoa powder, depending on the cook. Its roots allegedly lie in the Field of Mars, the area of Rome’s center where bovine butchers from the vaccinari guild once processed cattle and developed recipes to make the most of what little they kept for themselves. Simmered low and slow in a tomato sauce with plenty of celery, the oxtail releases its fat, creating a deep and unctuous condimento, which is perfect for dressing pasta. This is one of those dishes that begs to be eaten with your hands, ideally while wearing a patterned, darkly colored shirt. For best results, season the oxtail overnight.
10 ingredients
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 4 hrs 15 mins
Coda alla Vaccinara
.webp%3Fcrop%3D1200%252C1500%252C0%252C205%26optimizer%3Dimage&w=3840&q=75)
Ingredients (10)
Ingredients (10)
Instructions
Season the oxtail (4 lb) segments with saltsalt and pepper. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, remove the oxtail from the refrigerator and pat dry with paper towels.
Heat the lard (2 Tbsp) in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Add the oxtail segments and cook, turning as needed, until browned all over, about 15 minutes.
Add the wine (1 cup), scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and cook just until the alcohol aroma dissipates, about 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes (1 ½ 28-oz cans), season with saltsalt and pepper, and bring the sauce to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, moving the oxtail segments every 30 minutes or so, until the meat is falling off the bone, for 3 hours, adding water as necessary if the sauce reduces too much.
Add the celery (4 stalks) about 1 hour before the oxtails are done.
Comments
Purchase cookbook to comment