Oxtail Stew (Coda alla Vaccinara)
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Oxtail Stew (Coda alla Vaccinara) is traditional Italian oxtails stew, refined and elegant. Loaded with vegetables, slowly boiled in red wine to have tender beef, it is the best if served with your favourite pasta, polenta or risotto.
Oxtail is not that easy to get these days. We waited for three weeks to get one, properly cut on its joints to have tasty and good looking slices for the stew.
Fresh and healthy meat is a must: fat and bone are white, and meat is healthy, bright red coloured.
Here you can see vegetables included:
The tail is considered offal, nicknamed in Rome the quinto quarto (fifth quarter).
Why fifth quarter ?
The first quarter went to nobility, second to clergy, third to merchants and forth to military. What was left ( tails and internal organs ) was ment for the poor. So, you see, it was not noble class food. They got the best parts of animals so poor people were left to get offals and potatoes. That is how the term „la cucina povera“ (food for poor people) was developed. It required skills of preparation using humble ingredients (vegetables, herbs) and slow cooking. It is gelatin rich meat and this is specially noticed once your oxtail stew gets cold.
However, once reheated, it is thick but liquid stew bursting with flavours!
The oxtail I got, weighted almost 4 lbs. Severed at each joint it gives the larger parts of 3 inches down to 1 inch at the end of the tail.
The photo above shows half of the total quantity. We freezed the other half for another treat during autumn and winter days.
What does coda alla vaccinara means?
It means butcher style tail. Ox-tail is the culinary name for the tail of cattle. While the word once meant only the tail of an ox, today it can also refer to the skinned tails of other cattle.
I have seen quite a few recipes using Worcestershire sauce, butter beans, corn starch and lots of different herbs.
However, I decided to make simple sofrito, using virgin olive oil, leek, (spring onions are great as well), celery root, parsley root, carrot and pancetta. To us, adding red wine, tomato paste or passata, bay leaves, juniper and pine nuts is just enough. This oxtail recipe, loaded with vegetables is filling, comfort food full of deep beef flavours. Made on the stove top and garnished with pignoli and fresh parsley leaves.
If served with tasty pasta, it makes four people enjoy rich and tasty stew recipe. I recommend light dessert afterwards. Poached Pears with Turmeric or Floating Islands are just about to make your slow cooking and dinning the best experience.
Oxtail Stew (Coda alla Vaccinara)
Oxtail Stew (Coda alla Vaccinara) is traditional Italian oxtails stew, refined and elegant. Loaded with vegetables, slowly boiled in red wine to have tender beef, it is the best if served with your favourite pasta, polenta or risotto.
Ingredients
- 2 + 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 stripes pancetta, finely cut into small slices (makes 3 tablespoons)
- 1 cup chopped celery root
- 1 cup chopped parsley root
- 1 cup leek green leaves, finely sliced
- 1 ½ cup carrot, grated
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 pounds oxtail severed at each joint, washed and dried
- 1 ½ cup red wine
- 1 cup tomato passata (pureed strained tomatoes)
- 1 bay leaf
- Beef broth to taste, optional
- Juniper berries to taste
- Roasted pine nuts and chopped parsley leaves to garnish
Instructions
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In medium sized cast iron dish, combine 2 Tbsp of oil, pancetta, celery root, parsley root,leek greens, and carrot and let it cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
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Meanwhile pour 2Tbsp of olive oil into medium sized pan, season oxtails with salt and ground black pepper and cook until brown on all sides.
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Remove oxtails into the dish with vegetables, add red wine, passata, bay leaf and junipers.
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Let oxtail stew slowly boil, covered for 30 minutes. Take the cover away and continue to boil slow for at least 1 hour. I boiled our batch for additional 1 hour and 30 minutes.
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Before serving with pasta or risotto, garnish with roasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.
Recipe Notes
It is important to have the oxtail covered with liquid so feel free to add broth if it is not so in your case. Also, you may turn the meat upside down so it is tender all over.
If you find your oxtail stew recipe thick, you may add some beef broth. It is optional thing to do. We did not add any.
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