Coda alla vaccinara

Coda alla vaccinara is a traditional dish of Roman cuisine, a perfect example of humble cooking that has transformed into a sought-after dish. Here is how it’s prepared.

Ingredients

• 1 kg beef tail, cut into pieces
• 2 carrots
• 1 large onion
• 2 celery stalks
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 150 g pancetta or guanciale
• 500 ml robust red wine
• 500 ml tomato purée
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 500 ml beef broth
• 1 bouquet garni (bay leaves, rosemary, thyme)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• Grated Pecorino Romano, to garnish

Preparation

1. Start by frying the pancetta or guanciale cubes in a large pan with some olive oil until crispy. Remove the pancetta and set aside.
2. In the same pan, brown the beef tail pieces on each side until they become golden. Remove the pieces and set aside.
3. In the cooking fat, add finely chopped onion, carrots, and celery and sauté until soft. Add minced garlic and let it brown slightly.
4. Return the meat to the pan with the vegetables, and pour in the red wine. Allow the alcohol to evaporate for a few minutes.
5. Add the tomato purée and paste, beef broth, and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 3 hours, or until the meat is very tender and easily comes off the bone.
6. During the last half hour of cooking, add the pine nuts and raisins.
7. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove the bouquet garni before serving.
8. Serve the coda alla vaccinara hot, sprinkled with grated Pecorino Romano and with the prepared pancetta on top as a garnish.

Curiosity

The name “vaccinara” refers to the butchers (vaccinari in Roman dialect) who worked near the Testaccio district, a historical area of Rome associated with the meat trade and slaughterhouses. Originally, these butchers reserved the less valuable parts of the animal, such as the tail, for their personal consumption, thus creating recovery dishes that over time have become appreciated specialties.