Emily — Steve’s daughter — is a woman of many talents, and in the kitchen she’s a true foodie and an excellent cook! She shared this recipe from The Pasta Project with us, and it immediately felt like something we’d love.

It’s a traditional Roman dish called coda alla vaccinara — Butcher-style Oxtail Stew or Roman Oxtail Ragu — slow-braised oxtail with tomato, wine, raisins, pine nuts, and even a little cocoa. Oxtail is collagen-rich and silky when cooked low and slow. Think finely marbled steak, but even more tender after a long simmer. It was once considered a humble “fifth quarter” cut in Rome. Now it’s one of the most sought-after!

Now, this is not a fast weeknight meal.
But it’s also not complicated.

It’s the kind of recipe you lean into. A little chopping. A little browning. Then a long, quiet simmer. The pot gently bubbling, the house slowly filling with that deep, rich smell…

And when you start with beautiful grass-fed oxtail from Green Heron Growers, the flavor speaks for itself.

Butcher-style Oxtail Stew

(Coda alla Vaccinara)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs meaty grass-fed oxtail, cut into pieces
• 28 oz crushed peeled tomatoes
• 2 oz pancetta or pork belly, diced
• 1–2 carrots, finely chopped
• 6 celery stalks
  • 3 finely chopped
  • 3 cut into larger pieces
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• ½ glass white wine
• 2–4 whole cloves
• 1–2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa or grated dark chocolate
• Fresh parsley
• Rigatoni (or another sturdy short pasta),
  • For a gluten-free version, use your favorite GF short pasta.
• Olive oil, salt, black pepper\
• Optional:
  • Handful of raisins, soaked
  • Handful of pine nuts, lightly toasted

Prep:

• Cut oxtail into medium pieces if needed. Rinse and pat dry.
• Finely chop onion, carrots, and 3 celery stalks.
• Cut remaining celery into larger pieces and simmer separately until just tender.
• Optional:
  • Soak raisins in water.
  • Toast pine nuts gently in a dry pan (keep your eye on them — they turn quickly!).

Cook:

• Warm olive oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven.
• Sauté pancetta or pork belly until it begins to render.
• Add oxtail in a single layer. Brown well on all sides.
• Stir in chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Let them soften.
• Pour in white wine and let it cook off.
• Add tomatoes and cloves. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cover and simmer low about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  • Add a splash of water if it thickens too much.
• When the meat is tender and pulling from the bone:
  • Stir in the softened celery pieces
  • Add cocoa (the traditional secret)
    • Optional: Add soaked raisins
    • Add toasted pine nuts
  • Simmer another 15–20 minutes
  • Finish with fresh parsley
• The meat should release easily from the bone. At that point you can:
  • Leave some pieces whole and serve them as is
  • Or pull the meat from the bones, shred it, and stir it back into the sauce for ragu
  • Or do both — sauce with pasta first, meat as a second course (very Roman)

This is traditionally served with rigatoni — or your favorite gluten-free short pasta — and enjoy!

This is slow food at its best: a humble cut transformed into something rich, nourishing, and full of history. A classic Roman recipe, loved for generations, now on your table.

I hope this brings a little warmth to your week!