Coda alla Vaccinara Romana
Lazio — Rome, Jewish-influenced Roman Jewish quarter tradition (Testaccio slaughterhouse area)
Oxtail braised in the Roman slaughterhouse tradition — the defining offal preparation of Rome. Oxtail is browned, then braised for 3–4 hours in a tomato, celery, and white wine base, then finished with cocoa powder, pine nuts, and raisins — the agrodolce-cocoa combination that distinguishes vaccinara from all other oxtail preparations globally. The cocoa is added in the final 15 minutes; too early and it becomes bitter; at the right moment it adds a dark, bitter complexity that bridges the sweet raisins and the savoury tomato.