Beef stew recipes · Italian recipes

Coda alla vaccinara (Roman braised oxtail)

Coda alla vaccinara is an iconic dish of Rome’s ‘quinto quarto’ (fifth quarter) cuisine, which focuses on offal cookery. The offal in question here is oxtail, a beautiful cut that melts and falls apart once slow-cooked, and pairs particularly well with celery. The large amount of cocoa powder gives the stew’s sauce an earthy depth, while the raisins add little pops of sweetness. This recipe is by chef Leonardo Pieri Buti. He says “You can serve this as the main event, perhaps with some polenta, or remove the meat from the bones and use it as a ragù for pasta (in which case, make sure you grate over plenty of pecorino). I like eating this dish with my hands rather than cutlery; it tastes completely different! And be generous with the celery; coda alla vaccinara without celery is like the sky without stars.” Chef Leonardo was born in Rome and moved to London aged 25, working in restaurants such as Margot and Casa Cruz. He’s executive chef at Paper Moon at The OWO in Whitehall. Discover all there is to love about the food of Lazio, including its capital Rome, in our full food lover’s guide to the region.