Ox tail vaccinara by Peppe

Hello,

Back today after a busy weekend where I had my first Pop Up restaurant in the R. Mackintosh Church in Glasgow.
Hard work but all well, 50 costumers had a great time with nine courses and live music, in a very unique place and the atmosphere was incredible. I was cleaning and putting all equipment away yesterday but today I'm here to give you the recipe of one of the dishes I prepared for the Pop Up, Coda alla vaccinara (Ox tail vaccinara style) a very traditional Roman dish.
No many of you has cooked ox tail before, but I can tell you that you will be very happy and your friends will love you if you make it for them, and if you want to impress and don't spend to much but you are a true food lover, than this is the dish for you.

The recipe Coda alla Vaccinara

1 ox tail from your butcher
5 tablespoon  e.v.olive oil
100 gr. of fat from some pancetta (Italian cured bacon)
1 carrot
1 onion
the white central part of celery
1 garlic clove
40 gr. flat leaves parsley
1 large glass of white wine
salt
black pepper
500 gr. tomato passata


In a large dip pot heat up water and add the ox tail that is already cut from your butcher, bring up to the boil and then remove and set aside.
In another large pot, heat up the oil (in the old days they will use lard, but now we all have olive oil and is healthier) add all the veg  that you have already chopped before, but keep the celery, and start colouring, then dry the meat pass in flour and add to the pot, and stir until it starts to get brown.
Then add the wine and let it evaporate, that will give you nice flavour but take away the taste of alcohol, then add the tomato sauce and 300ml of water and the parsley, salt and pepper not to much so that when it has cooked for long you can finish the seasoning (remember that is always possible to add some seasoning but you can't take it out).
Cook for more than 3 hours on very low heat making sure it does not stick, than add the chopped celery and cook for another 45 minutes, when ready serve hot and use some nice Italian bread to finish off the sauce (in Italian is called scarpetta, so that your plate is nice and clean).
Buon appetito, I hope you love this dish as i do.

Remember if you have any questions just ask here, or if you like me to give a recipe for one of you favourite Italian dishes send me a message.
Ciao