Roman Braised Oxtail (Coda alla Vaccinara)
Oxtail slow-braised for hours with celery, tomato and white wine until the meat falls off the bone and the sauce turns deep and glossy, finished with the classic Roman touch of pine nuts, raisins and a hint of chocolate.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Season and dust the oxtail
Pat the oxtail pieces dry with paper towel, season generously with salt and pepper, then dust lightly with flour, shaking off any excess. The flour helps the meat brown better and will later help thicken the braising liquid.
- 1.5 kg oxtail
- 30 g flour
- to taste salt and pepper
✅ Done when: the pieces are coated in a thin, even film of flour with no clumps
Brown the oxtail
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtail in batches, about 3–4 minutes per side, without crowding the pot — crowding makes the meat steam instead of forming a deep brown crust, and that crust is where much of the final flavor comes from. Set the browned pieces aside on a plate.
- 1.5 kg oxtail (from step 1)
- 60 ml olive oil
✅ Done when: each piece is deeply browned on all sides
Build the base and deglaze
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Add tomato and braise low and slow
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Add the celery garnish
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Finish with agrodolce and serve
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Season and dust the oxtail
Pat the oxtail pieces dry with paper towel, season generously with salt and pepper, then dust lightly with flour, shaking off any excess. The flour helps the meat brown better and will later help thicken the braising liquid.
- 1.5 kg oxtail
- 30 g flour
- to taste salt and pepper
✅ Done when: the pieces are coated in a thin, even film of flour with no clumps
Brown the oxtail
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtail in batches, about 3–4 minutes per side, without crowding the pot — crowding makes the meat steam instead of forming a deep brown crust, and that crust is where much of the final flavor comes from. Set the browned pieces aside on a plate.
- 1.5 kg oxtail (from step 1)
- 60 ml olive oil
✅ Done when: each piece is deeply browned on all sides
Build the base and deglaze
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Add tomato and braise low and slow
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Add the celery garnish
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Finish with agrodolce and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Oxtail belonged to the quinto quarto, the 'fifth quarter' of less prized cuts and offal that butchers in Rome's old Testaccio slaughterhouse district received as part of their pay. Cooks turned this tough, bony cut into something extraordinary by browning it well and letting it braise for hours with vegetables and wine until it became tender and rich.
Over time the dish grew into a signature of Roman trattorias, finished with the city's old sweet-and-sour touch of pine nuts, raisins and a little bitter chocolate, an echo of much older Roman and Roman-Jewish cooking traditions.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Coda alla vaccinara is held up as one of the great dishes of Roman cucina povera, proof that patience and a slow fire can turn a humble cut into a feast.
💡 Fun Fact
The dish is named after the vaccinari, the cattle butchers of Testaccio, who were paid partly in the less valuable cuts of the animal, including the tail.
Testaccio, Rome
41.90°N, 12.50°E
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