Chef's Recipes

Oxtail stew (Coda alla vaccinara)

Australian Gourmet Traveller and Checchino Dal 1887 restaurant Italian main course recipe for oxtail stew (coda alla vaccinara)

By Francesco Mariani
  • Serves 6
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Oxtail stew (Coda alla vaccinara)
"A highlight of my recent trip to Rome was an evening at Checchino Dal 1887. Is it possible to track down Francesco Mariani's recipe for oxtail stew?"
Tristan Dunn, Newtown, NSW
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To request a recipe, write to Fare Exchange, Australian Gourmet Traveller, GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW 2001, or email us. All requests should include the restaurant's name and address or business card, as well as your name and address.

Ingredients

  • 2.5 kg lean oxtail, cut into pieces at joints
  • 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil (¼ cup)
  • 20 gm lardo, finely chopped (see note)
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 250 ml white wine (1 cup)
  • 2 kg canned tomatoes
Polenta
  • 1 litre chicken stock (4 cups)
  • 250 gm polenta
  • 50 gm butter
Celery sauce
  • 1 celery, leaves removed and stalks stringed and cut into 8cm lengths
  • 1 small handful of Sicilian sultanas
  • 12 pine nuts
  • 20 gm dark chocolate, grated

Method

Main
  • 1
    Rinse oxtail under cold running water and pat dry with absorbent paper. Heat olive oil and lardo in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat, add oxtail and cook, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes or until brown. Add onion, garlic and cloves and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, add white wine, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until onion is soft and white wine has reduced to one third. Add tomatoes, cover and cook gently for 5-6 hours, or until meat is almost falling off the bone.
  • 2
    For polenta, bring chicken stock to the boil, sprinkle over polenta and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until it reaches a porridge-like consistency. Add butter and season to taste. Pour into a baking paper-lined 20cm x 20cm baking tray and stand until set.
  • 3
    For celery sauce, steam celery in a steamer over boiling water for 10 minutes or until celery is tender. Remove oxtail from sauce and set aside. Add celery, sultanas, pine nuts and chocolate to sauce and bring to the boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens, then return oxtail to pan and cook until warmed through.
  • 4
    To serve, warm polenta in oven, then slice into 2cm-thick pieces, arrange on plates and spoon over oxtail.

Notes

Note Lardo or pork back fat is available from butchers and select delicatessens, but may need to be ordered ahead.

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