Coda alla vaccinara

Coda alla vaccinara

A plate of coda alla vaccinara
Alternative names	coda
Course	Main
Place of origin	Italy
Region or state	Lazio
Serving temperature	Warm
Main ingredients	Oxtail, celery, carrot
Variations	Rigatoni al sugo di coda

Coda alla vaccinara [ˈkoːda alla vattʃiˈnaːra] is a modern Roman oxtail stew made from oxtail and various vegetables, most notably celery. Its introduction dates back to times when it was customary to pay a vaccinaro (cattle butcher) in kind with quinto quarto.

Preparation

The oxtail is parboiled and then simmered with large amounts of celery (there should be 1.5 kilo of celery for every kilo of tail), carrots, and aromatic herbs. Tomatoes and red wine are added, and then the mixture is cooked further with a soffritto of onions, garlic, prosciutto, pancetta and some other ingredients. During the final phase of cooking, a bouquet garni of bay leaves, celery stalks, and cloves is put in the pot for flavouring. Tail should be cooked such a long time that meat easily separates from the bones. It is seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper and garnished with pine nuts.

Coda is usually prepared to taste sweet-and-sour, usually using raisins, or sometimes candied fruit or a small amount of grated bittersweet chocolate. Coda is generally prepared in advance and reheated. Leftovers can be used as a sauce for rigatoni, which is then named rigatoni al sugo di coda.

Popular culture

Coda is admittedly the favourite dish of the protagonist Giacinto Mazzatella (Nino Manfredi) in Down and Dirty. He expresses his appreciation of the dish with the words "Oxtail and celery are like man and woman. It's all well when one sticks to the other."

See also

• List of beef dishes
• List of Italian dishes

Further reading

• Boni, Ada (1983) [1930]. La Cucina Romana (in Italian). Roma: Newton Compton Editori.