Coda alla Vaccinara

Coda alla vaccinara is Rome's great offal triumph, born in the Testaccio slaughterhouse quarter where butchers — the vaccinari — were paid in the "fifth quarter" of the animal. Slow-braised oxtail in tomato with celery, pine nuts, raisins and a shaving of dark chocolate makes a sauce of baroque richness that is entirely Roman in its extravagance.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) oxtail, cut into segments
• 3 tbsp (45ml) olive oil
• 150g (5 oz) guanciale or pancetta, diced
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 200ml (¾ cup) dry white wine
• 800g (28 oz) canned whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp cocoa powder or 20g (¾ oz) dark chocolate (70%), grated
• 30g (1 oz) pine nuts
• 30g (1 oz) raisins, soaked in warm water
• 4 celery stalks (inner, with leaves), cut into 5 cm (2 in) pieces — added late
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Flat-leaf parsley, to serve

Instructions

1. Season oxtail pieces generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot over high heat and brown oxtail pieces in batches, 4–5 minutes per side until deeply coloured. Remove and set aside.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add guanciale and cook until the fat renders, about 3 minutes. Add onion, diced celery and carrot; sauté 8–10 minutes until soft and golden.
3. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Pour in white wine and deglaze, scraping up the brown bits. Simmer 3 minutes until reduced by half.
4. Return oxtail to pot. Add crushed tomatoes, cloves, cinnamon and enough water to nearly cover (about 300ml/1¼ cups). Bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest possible simmer.
5. Cover and braise 3–3½ hours, turning oxtail occasionally, until the meat is falling from the bone and the sauce is thick and dark.
6. In the last 30 minutes, add the inner celery pieces, pine nuts, drained raisins and dark chocolate or cocoa. Stir gently and continue to cook uncovered, so the sauce reduces further.
7. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with torn bread or soft polenta, scattered with parsley.

Cook's Notes: This dish is far better the next day once the flavours meld. Skim the fat from the surface before reheating. The chocolate and raisins are non-negotiable — they balance the richness of the marrow and give the sauce its characteristically Roman agrodolce depth.