I put a smoky BBQ twist on a classic Roman dish, Coda alla Vaccinara, or braised oxtails. Traditionally slow-braised in a rich tomato sauce, I took things up a notch by smoking the oxtails first to add that deep, savory flavor we all love. Then, simmered low and slow until they’re fall-off-the-bone tender. This Smoked Oxtail dish is hearty, bold, and packed with flavor. It’s the perfect marriage of Roman comfort food and backyard BBQ. Whether you’re a fan of Italian cuisine or just love trying new spins on old-school recipes, you’re gonna want to give this one a shot.
For more twists on classic dishes, check out my perfectly smoked meatloaf or try my grilled sausage and tortellini dinner dish. Like braised food, then you must make my braised chicken and mushroom recipe.
How do you cook oxtail?
Oxtail is the tail section of a cow. Usually cut into smaller pieces, this cheaper cut of beef is used in stews, soups and is great for braising. The low and slow braising method develops rich beefy flavor and breaks down the gelatinous meat making it extra tender and fall off the done delicious!
Ingredient List for Smoked Oxtail.
- Oxtail: small pre-sliced oxtail as the key ingredient for the smoked oxtail dish.
- Peel tomatoes: I pureed peeled tomatoes to make fresh tomato sauce. Canned tomato sauce will also work.
- Veggies: carrots, celery and onion for flavor and texture.
- White wine: I used a dry white wine to add acidity and brightness to the sauce.
- Seasoning: used an all purpose seasoning before smoking the oxtail.
First, smoke the oxtail.
Oxtail meat is very tough. It has a lot of connective tissue that requires it to be cooked low and slow. The most popular method is braising, however I’m going to smoke it first. This will infuse the meat with some smokiness elevating this dish to another lever.
First, season the oxtail with Dad’s All Purpose seasoning which has the perfect blend of savory BBQ flavors.
Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the seasoned oxtail on the smoker and cook for 2 hours. You are not looking for any internal temps here. You just want the smokiness to absorb into the meat.
Recipe Tip
If you do not plan on smoking the oxtail first, sear it on all sides, skip to the section below and and cook in the oven or over the stove top over low heat.
Next, prepare the braising liquid.
While the oxtail is on the smoker, it’s time to prepare the braise.
Start by finely chopping up a few carrots, celery sticks and onion. Add them to a large dutch oven. Add minced garlic and white wine. If you prefer to cook without alcohol, simple exclude the wine from the recipe.
For the tomato sauce, I used peeled tomatoes from a can. They are rich in flavor and create a bold and deliciously rich thick sauce. Using an immersion blender, puree the tomatoes until the liquid is completely smooth. Pour it into the dutch oven with the other ingredients.
Place it on the grill next to the smoking oxtail. The smokiness will penetrate the liquid adding additional flavor.
Next, braise the Smoked Oxtail.
Now is the time to do a double check of flavor and seasoning levels. Add a tablespoon of Dad’s All Purpose seasoning to the braise.
Move the smoked oxtail into the dutch over, cover with a lid and continue cooking until the meat is fork tender. This process will take anywhere from 3-4 hours. There is no internal temperature for doneness. Once the meat starts falling apart without any resistance, that the sign it’s ready to shred.
Recipe Tip
This is also a great time to move the dutch oven into the kitchen and cook on the stove top. At this point, you are not getting any smokiness into the dish since the cooking vessel is covered.
Increase the grill temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and grill away.
Finally, shred the smoked oxtail and eat!
After all these hours of smoking and cooking, it’s time to shred the smoked oxtail. Using heat resistant gloves, gently remove the meat off the bone and shred it with your hands. The meat will be tender enough that you won’t need a fork to pull the meat apart.
Enjoy this savory Roman style smoked oxtail with a rustic slice of bread or pasta and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can this recipe be made in the kitchen? Yes, if you do not have a smoker, sear the seasoned oxtail on all sides and braising for 3-4 hours in the dutch oven in the tomato based sauce.
What kind of meat is oxtail? Oxtail is beef. It’s the tail section of the cow that is cut into small pieces. Historically associated with oxen, which is where the name came from.
If you tried this Smoked Oxtail or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments. I love hearing from you!
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Smoked Oxtail
This Smoked Oxtail dish is hearty, bold, and packed with flavor. It's the perfect marriage of Roman comfort food and backyard BBQ.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Smoked oxtail, roman style oxtail, italian food, smoked recipes, braised oxtail, braising recipe, hearty meal, oxtail recipe, grillin with dad recipe, grilling with dad recipe.
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 5 hours hours
Servings 4 People
Calories 149kcal
- 8 Oxtail pieces
- 2 tbsp All purpose seasoning
Braising Liqiud Ingredients
- 2 Celery sticks
- 2 Carrots
- 1 Yellow onion
- 28 oz San Marzano peeled tomatoes
- 1 cup White wine
- 1 tbsp Minced garlic
- 1 tbsp All purpose seasoning
Season with oxtails with all purpose seasoning.
Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the seasoned oxtail on the smoker and cook for 2 hours. For the braise, start by finely chopping up a few carrots, celery sticks and onion. Add them to a large dutch oven. Add minced garlic and white wine.
Using an immersion blender, puree the tomatoes until the liquid is completely smooth. Pour it into the dutch oven with the other ingredients.
Place the dutch oven on the grill next to the smoking oxtail.
After the oxtail is done smoking, add a tablespoon of Dad's All Purpose seasoning to the braise.
Increase the grill temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and grill away.
Move the smoked oxtail into the dutch over, cover with a lid and continue cooking until the meat is fork tender. This process will take anywhere from 3-4 hours.
It's time to shred the smoked oxtail. Using heat resistant gloves, gently remove the meat off the bone and shred it with your hands.
Enjoy this savory Roman style smoked oxtail witha rustic slice of bread or pasta and enjoy
If you do not plan on smoking the oxtail first, sear it on all sides, skip to the section below and and cook in the oven or over the stove top over low heat.
Exclude white wine if you prefer not to cook with alcohol.
This is also a great time to move the dutch oven into the kitchen and cook on the stove top. At this point, you are not getting any smokiness into the dish since the cooking vessel is covered. Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 318mg | Potassium: 643mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 5629IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 199mg | Iron: 6mg
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