Meat Protein:  ½ pound of Beef Oxtails & 4 Smoked Turkey Wings

Other Protein:  Lentils, Barley, Navy & Pinto Beans (dried)

Vegetables:  Carrots, Celery, Onion, Cabbage & mushrooms

Grains/Bread:  Cous Cous & Long Grain Black Rice

Herbs:  Garlic, Basil, Oregano, Bay leaves & Thyme

Spices:  Cracked Black Pepper, Smoked Paprika & Cumin

2 tbl. Extra Virgin Olive Oil or our Tuscan Olive Oil (for sautéing)

The true historical recipe from France calls for a pint of dark stout!

Coat your Ox tails with our Tuscan Olive oil & 1 tsp. of flour and shake in a gallon bag until coated well.  Saute your ox tails with diced garlic, onions, carrots, celery & cabbage until they are opaque.  Approx. 15 min. Set your vegetable blend to the side.

Bring 2 cups of water and 2 cups of chicken or beef broth to a boil.  Add in your Ox tails & Turkey wings and the vegetables.  Boil for approx. 20 min. Then add in ¼ cup each of the lentils, barley, navy & pinto beans.  Reduce your heat to medium/low & simmer for 30 min.

Add in your spices, the cous cous and long grain rice. Cover your pot with a lid (I like a clear lid to see what is going on in there) & simmer for another 30-45 min on low.  The rice, cous cous and bone marrow will thicken this delicious soup.

Toast up some crusty bread for dipping in the juices.

ENJOY!!!  2 HRS.

History:  Much of the food of Rome is based on cucina povera.  Offal, the quinto quarto, is a huge part of this cuisine.  The quinto, “fifth” quarter of the animal, includes the “lesser” cuts and the innards.  Rich folks took the premier cuts of meat. The poor, making due with what was left, cooked the hell out of these pieces, establishing the cuisine of Rome, that still thrives today.

They caressed the flavors from these tough unwanted pieces into dishes as rich as Rome’s history, with layers of flavors running as deep as the ancient cities lying below Rome.  Coda alla Vaccinara (braised oxtail) is one of these dishes.  The tail is slowly cooked, tenderizing the meat, and releasing flavors from the tailbone that give the dish an intense meatiness.