RomanItalian
Oxtail Terrina alla Vaccinara
A modern reinterpretation of the classic Roman oxtail stew, turned into an elegant terrine with layers of tender shredded meat and rich reduced sauce, accompanied by celery root puree, pinoli paste, grape must, and cubeb pepper air.
- Difficulty
- hard
Ingredients
16 items- Veal TailVeal oxtail preferred for tenderness
- 1 pcsOnionWhole, studded with cloves
- ClovesAbout 4-5 cloves stuck into the onion
- Peeled TomatoesCanned peeled tomatoes
- SaltTo taste
- Chili PowderChili powder, to taste
- Pecorino RomanoGrated, for seasoning the meat
- Cocoa BeansPure cocoa beans, unsweetened
- Veal Demi-GlaceVeal stock reduced to a glaze
- CeleriacFor the celery root sauce
- HoneyTo sweeten the celery root sauce
- Pine Nut PâtéPine nut paste
- Pantelleria RaisinsPantelleria grape must, for serving
- Celery LeavesDried and ground into powder for dusting
- Wild GarlicA touch for serving
- Cubeb PepperFor the air (cubeb pepper infusion)
Method
- Blanch the oxtail in boiling water for 3-4 minutes to remove impurities.
- Dry the oxtail and brown it in a pan over medium-high heat until caramelized.
- Add a whole onion studded with cloves to the pan.
- Add peeled tomatoes, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of chili powder.
- Cover and cook on low heat for about 3 hours, until the meat is very tender.
- Remove the oxtail from the sauce and let cool slightly. Debone the meat, separating the meat from the bones. Reserve the bones for another use.
- Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids. Reserve the strained sauce.
- Season the shredded meat with salt and grated pecorino romano, mixing until the mixture becomes a thick paste. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- For the final sauce: add a pinch of salt to the strained sauce, then add whole cocoa beans (or dark cocoa) and veal demi-glace. Stir until the sauce is dark and thick.
- In a small terrine mold, spread a layer of the meat mixture. Place in a blast chiller (or freezer) until firm, about 5 minutes.
- Spread a layer of the sauce over the meat. Chill again until firm.
- Repeat layering with meat and sauce until the mold is full, chilling each layer. Finish with a layer of sauce on top.
- Unmold the terrine and slice it for serving.
- Serve the terrine with celery root sauce (celery root pureed with honey), pinoli paste, grape must (uva passa), a dusting of celery leaf powder, a touch of erba aglina (wild garlic), and an air of cubeb pepper.
- Optionally, accompany with traditional Roman pizza (La Pala).