Coda alla Vaccinara

Method

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1. Soak the oxtail in cold water 30 minutes, then drain and dry it well.

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2. Render the guanciale in the oil in a heavy pot, then brown the oxtail hard on all sides, in batches, 15 minutes.

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3. Add the onion, carrot and garlic and cook 10 minutes.

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4. Pour in the wine and let it boil away almost completely.

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5. Add the tomatoes, stock, cloves, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook very gently 4 hours, until the meat pulls from the bone.

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6. Blanch the celery in boiling salted water 5 minutes, then drain.

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7. Add the celery, pine nuts, raisins and chocolate to the pot and cook uncovered 20 minutes more, until the sauce is thick.

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8. Skim the fat from the surface and check the seasoning before serving.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Four hours. Anything less and the oxtail will be chewy.
• Blanch the celery separately so it keeps some bite.
• Skim the fat at the end — oxtail throws a lot of it.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• A dry vermouth keeps for longer than an open bottle of white wine and is the closer swap than a random white left in the fridge; for an alcohol-free version, use the same amount of stock with a squeeze of lemon.

Pairing Suggestions

• Rigatoni dressed in the sauce
• Bread
• Cesanese

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 4 days and better on the second. Freezes 3 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.