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Coda alla vaccinara Roman oxtail stew in terracotta dish with tomato sauce, pine nuts, and raisins

Coda alla Vaccinara - Roman Oxtail Braised in Tomato and Spice

Classic Roman braised oxtail cooked low and slow with tomatoes, celery, cocoa, pine nuts, and raisins for a rich agrodolce finish.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 620
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the braise
  • 1.5 kg oxtail, cut into 4-5 cm sections bone-in, ask butcher to portion it
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 80 g guanciale or pancetta cut into small cubes
  • 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
  • 4 celery stalks 2 finely chopped for soffritto, 2 cut into 3 cm pieces for later
  • 1 medium carrot finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 200 ml dry white wine
  • 800 g canned whole plum tomatoes 2 standard cans, crushed by hand
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 200 ml beef stock or water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 1 tsp black pepper freshly cracked
  • to taste fine sea salt
Agrodolce finish (added in last 30 minutes)
  • 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder or 10 g of 70% dark chocolate, finely grated
  • 40 g pine nuts lightly toasted in a dry pan
  • 40 g raisins or sultanas soaked in warm water for 10 minutes and drained
  • reserved from above celery pieces the 2 stalks cut into 3 cm pieces

Method
 

Prepare and brown the oxtail
  1. Pat the oxtail sections dry with paper towels. Season all sides with salt and cracked black pepper.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add the oxtail in batches without crowding and sear for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
  3. Reduce heat to medium. Add the guanciale to the same pot and cook for 2-3 minutes until the fat begins to render.
Build the soffritto
  1. Add the chopped onion, 2 finely chopped celery stalks, and carrot to the pot. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and pale golden.
  2. Add the sliced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes until it darkens slightly.
Deglaze and assemble the braise
  1. Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until the wine reduces by half.
  2. Add the crushed tomatoes, beef stock, bay leaves, and whole cloves. Stir to combine.
  3. Return the browned oxtail pieces to the pot, pressing them down so they are mostly submerged in the liquid.
  4. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover the pot and transfer to an oven preheated to 160 C / 320 F.
Slow braise
  1. Braise covered for 2 hours. After the first 90 minutes, skim any excess fat from the surface with a ladle.
  2. Check the liquid level - if it looks very thick or dry, add a splash of water or stock.
Add the agrodolce finish
  1. After 2 hours, add the reserved celery pieces, drained raisins, and toasted pine nuts to the pot.
  2. Stir in the cocoa powder (or grated dark chocolate). Taste and adjust salt.
  3. Return the pot to the oven, uncovered, for a further 30 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly and the celery is tender but not mushy.
Rest and serve
  1. Remove the pot from the oven. Discard the bay leaves and whole cloves.
  2. Let the dish rest uncovered for 20 minutes before serving. The sauce will tighten as it cools slightly.
  3. Serve over rigatoni or polenta, spooning the sauce generously over the top.

Notes

If you cook this a day ahead, refrigerate the whole pot and skim the solidified fat cap from the top before reheating - the sauce will be noticeably deeper in flavor.