Coda alla Vaccinara

Coda alla Vaccinara is a dark, glossy stew in which pieces of oxtail cook slowly until they become meltingly tender. The sauce, rich with tomato and celery, is deep, slightly sweet, and enveloping, often enriched in older traditions with cocoa or pine nuts. The meat almost falls apart on its own, and the cooking juices beg to be soaked up with bread. It’s a hearty, convivial main course, perfect for a leisurely Roman lunch.