Coda alla Vaccinara: Traditional Roman Oxtail Stew

Here on these pages we often talk about sweet creations, but Italian culinary tradition doesn’t lack savoury dishes enhanced with chocolate! One of the most historic is Coda alla Vaccinara: a humble yet deeply flavourful recipe. It’s simple to prepare, though a little time-consuming—the secret to melt-in-the-mouth meat lies in a slow, gentle braise. If you’re short on time (or patience), you can halve the cooking time using a pressure cooker, or try an electric slow cooker for perfect low-temperature cooking.

Coda alla Vaccinara: History and Origins

Nicknamed the “queen of quinto quarto” (the fifth quarter, referring to offcuts), this iconic Roman dish features one of the least prized cuts: the tail of an ox or veal. The name comes from the “vaccinare”, the butchers’ wives, who traditionally cooked this dish to make the most of economical cuts and turn them into something comforting and hearty.
You’ll still find it on the menus of classic Roman trattorias—but if you want to try it at home, here’s the authentic recipe!

The Original Recipe

Every Roman family has its own twist: some parboil the meat first to reduce the fat content, others add prosciutto in place of guanciale. At Venchi, we welcome creative interpretations—but one rule stands firm: cacao is a must!
Tradition dictates that just before serving, the sauce is enriched with a sprinkle of unsweetened cocoa powder, giving it an unforgettable depth of flavour. If that sounds unusual, explore our other meat-and-chocolate pairings—you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Ingredients

• 1 kg oxtail
• 70 g guanciale
• 2 onions
• 1 celery stalk
• 2 carrots
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1.5 L white wine
• 500 g tomato passata
• 30 g Venchi cocoa powder
• Fresh parsley, to taste
• Olive oil, to taste
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Prep time: 4 hrs 30 mins (1 hr prep + 3 hrs 30 mins cooking)
Difficulty: Easy

Method

1. Prepare the meat: Cut the oxtail into pieces about 5–6 cm long (similar to a stew). Sear in a large pot with plenty of olive oil until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
2. Make the base: Finely chop celery, carrots and onions. In the same pot, sauté them with garlic and diced guanciale until fragrant.
3. Add the seared meat back to the pot and mix well. Deglaze with white wine; allow it to evaporate completely.
4. Stir in the tomato passata, season with salt and pepper, cover with a lid and lower the heat. Simmer gently for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally. If the sauce reduces too much, add a little hot water or stock.
5. When the meat is very tender and almost falling off the bone, add the cocoa powder, cook for a further 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Serve your Coda alla Vaccinara enriched with chocolate piping hot—perfect paired with a side of sautéed chicory for a truly Roman touch!