This is the most iconic dish of the “fifth quarter,” perhaps unfairly classified as a poor dish.
There are actually two versions of this dish. The rich one includes spices (cinnamon and cloves) and a sauce added at the end of the preparation, consisting of grated bitter chocolate and pine nuts: once very expensive ingredients.
The other version is simpler because it only includes tomatoes – it’s also the most used.
The preparation was probably born in the heart of Rome, in the Regola district where the “vaccinari” lived, and was subsequently modified in every family and Hostaria.
The first time I ate the tail was when I went to eat with my family in a restaurant called “Checchino dal 1887” in Testaccio. Often when I go to a restaurant, I order what I don’t have the time or the desire to prepare!
When I do have time, I do the oxtail as follows.

Coda alla Vaccinara: Roman oxtail stew

  • Preparation time: 6-7 hours
  • Ingredients for 6-8 servings
  • Difficulty: Average difficulty recipe

  • Ingredients
  • 1 oxtail cut into pieces
  • 1 piece of raw ham fat
  • 1 US liter (1 liter) of vegetable stock
  • 2 lb. (1 kg) of pureed peeled tomatoes
  • 2 sticks of celery
  • 1 small carrot
  • 1 large onion
  • ½ glass of white wine
  • 2 cloves
  • Extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • Salt to taste
  1. Instructions
  2. Wash the oxtail well under running water. Drain it and dry it with kitchen paper.
  3. Wash the vegetables well and cut them into cubes, leaving aside a stick of celery.
  4. In a saucepan, stew the chopped onion and celery with the ham fat. Sauté for about ten minutes over low heat, adding a little water if necessary.
  5. Add the cloves and the meat, browning it over high heat.
  6. Deglaze with the wine. As soon as the alcohol evaporates, add the tomatoes.
  7. Allow the sauce to cook for about ten minutes, then add the hot stock to completely cover the meat.
  8. Simmer over very low heat for five to six hours, checking and adding water if necessary.
  9. When there are about thirty minutes left to cook, add the other stalk of celery cut into diamonds. Season before service.

Tips to ensure the success of the dish:

  • The butchers sell the whole tail. It normally weighs around one lb. They are the ones who cut it because it takes expertise. The pieces must be about 1 inch thick.
  • This cut of meat is very fatty and has a lot of collagen, so it is therefore necessary to cook it on a very low heat for many hours. In ancient times, the tail was degreased in boiling water for about two hours in order to have both an invigorating stock and a very substantial main course. The drawback is that the sauce won’t be anywhere near as tasty.
  • We use the sauce to season the pasta and it tastes delicious!
  • To see how to make vegetable stock, open here.