Coda Alla Vaccinara /Roman Braised Oxtail

You speak of typical Roman dishes and people always mention carbonara, amatriciana, tripe, and lamb: hardly anyone mentions one of the traditional dishes par excellence, the Coda Alla Vaccinara, perhaps because they haven't heard it.

Coda Alla Vaccinara is a real delight for the palate, especially in winter, when it is cold and then you gather around the table with friends or family and get ready for a marathon that includes red wine, lots of bread for dunking in the sauce, and little attention to formalities.

It is not the ultimate dish of Roman cuisine but it is something that everyone in life must try: if you are from Rome you cannot fail to have tasted it at least once, while if you are not Roman the advice is to put it on your wish list at the first descent into the eternal city of Rome.

It is called the oxtail because the part that is cooked is really the oxtail and being an almost "waste" part of the meat was at one time low in cost, not so much anymore. The cost has increased dramatically in recent years as dishes of this type have begun to be the recipient of new popularity. the dish was very cheap to prepare at home but like any poor dish from tradition at the restaurant you pay the wrath of God by leveraging the fact that it takes a long time to prepare it.

History

Tradition attributes its origin to the Regola district (seventh district of Rome) and every time I am reminded of the words of Livio Jannattoni, a man of multiple interests, journalist, and writer who was one of the most acute connoisseurs of Roman cuisine. According to him, not everyone knows how to properly prepare the Vaccinara. Often it comes out only as a piece of boiled meat and not as it should traditionally come out, beautiful succulent and full-bodied.

Jannattoni was director of the Library of the Ministry of Transport and the Historical Railway Museum. He devoted much of his attention to the city of Rome, which included the history of the cuisine native to the famous city.

Ingredients:

· 5 lbs. of oxtail cut into large pieces

· 7 oz. pork belly, bacon, pancetta, or guanciale chopped (I used guanciale for my preparation)

· 1 large carrot finely chopped

· 1 stalk of celery finely chopped

· 1 large onion finely chopped

· 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

· 1 good pinch of dried chile flakes

· 1 cup of dry white wine

· 3 tablespoons of tomato paste dissolved in 2 cups of water

· Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place the pieces of oxtail in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil. As soon as the water begins to boil skim the foam that has formed on top of the water off with a slotted spoon. Remove the pan from the heat. Remove the oxtail from the water and place it on a plate off to the side and allow it to cool.

In a separate heavy-bottomed pot add the diced pork product and cook at a medium temperature allowing the fat to render from the pork.

When the fat has renders add the pieces of oxtail and brown them in the fat. When browned remove the oxtail from the pot and add the carrots, celery, and onion. Gently cook the vegetables until they have softened then add the oxtail back to the pot with the vegetables.

Add half the wine to the pot and allow it to cook for about a minute in order to cook out the alcohol. Pour the tomato paste and water mixture over the meat, add the crushed chili peppers, season with salt and pepper, cover the pot and allow it to cook for one hour.

When the hour has passed add the remaining wine to the pot and cook for a few minutes uncovered to allow the alcohol to cook out. Cover the pot again and reduce the heat to a simmer and allow to cook for three hours more.

Chop 4 stalks of celery and add to the pot after the three hours of cooking and allow to cook for one hour more. Transfer the finished dish to a platter and serve immediately.

I served mine with a side of saffron-infused rice. Pasta and polenta are also good choices.

I served Coda Alla Vaccinara for my Thanksgiving Dinner this year. You may consider trying the rich and succulent dish at your next holiday gathering.

Alla prossima!

Buon Cibo e Buon Appetito!

Chef John