🇮🇹 Italian · Main Dish
🍲 Coda alla Vaccinara
Coda alla Vaccinara
Oxtail braised for hours in tomato and red wine until the meat falls from the bone, a Roman classic born in the city's historic slaughterhouse district using an inexpensive but deeply flavorful cut.
Coda alla vaccinara takes its name from the vaccinari, the cattle butchers of Rome's Testaccio district, who were traditionally paid partly in the less prized cuts of the animal, transforming oxtail into one of the city's richest, most celebrated braises.
Ingredients
Equipment: Heavy-bottomed pot with lid
- 2 kg (4.4 lb) oxtail, cut into segments
- Flour, for dredging
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped (reserve some for later)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 250 ml (1 cup) dry red wine
- 800 g (1.75 lb) canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 clove
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- A handful of raisins and pine nuts (optional, for the Roman finish)
Method
- Season the oxtail pieces and dredge lightly in flour.
- Warm the olive oil in a heavy pot and brown the oxtail well on all sides in batches, then set aside.
- In the same pot, sauté the onion, carrot, and half the celery until softened, then add the garlic.
- Return the oxtail to the pot, pour in the wine, and let it reduce, scraping up the browned bits.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, and clove, and enough water to nearly cover the meat.
- Cover and simmer very gently for 3–3.5 hours, until the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender, checking occasionally and adding water if needed.
- In the final 20 minutes, add the reserved celery, cut into chunks, and simmer until tender.
- For a traditional Roman finish, stir in a small handful of raisins and pine nuts near the end.
- Skim any excess fat from the surface and serve hot with plenty of sauce.
Chef Tips
- This dish rewards genuine patience — the long, slow braise is what transforms tough oxtail into something meltingly tender.
- Browning the oxtail thoroughly before braising builds essential depth in the finished sauce.
- Like many braises, this dish is even better the day after it's made, once the flavors have had time to settle.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Rushing the cooking time, which leaves the oxtail tough rather than properly tender.
- Skipping the browning step, missing an important layer of flavor.
- Not skimming excess fat, which can make the finished sauce greasy.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- A good source of protein and collagen from the slow-braised oxtail.
Cultural Note
Coda alla vaccinara is one of Rome's celebrated quinto quarto (fifth quarter) dishes, born from the city's Testaccio slaughterhouse tradition of using every part of the animal.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days; freezes well for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the oven, covered.
Serve with: Crusty bread, A robust Roman red wine