Method
Brown the oxtail
Season the oxtail generously. In a heavy Dutch oven, heat a good slug of olive oil over high heat and brown the oxtail pieces in batches — don't crowd the pan. You want deep mahogany colour on all sides. This takes patience and time. Remove and set aside.
Build the soffritto
Lower the heat to medium. In the same pot, cook the onion, celery, and carrot until soft and just starting to colour — about 12 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Don't rush this step; the soffritto is the base of everything.
Deglaze and add tomatoes
Pour in the wine and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom. Let it reduce by half. Add the tomatoes, cloves, cinnamon, and cocoa. Stir well — the cocoa sounds unusual but adds a background depth that rounds out the acidity.
Braise low and slow
Return the oxtail to the pot. The liquid should come halfway up the meat. Cover and cook at the lowest possible simmer for 3–3.5 hours, turning the meat every 45 minutes, until it's falling from the bone.
Shred and finish
Remove the oxtail. Pull the meat from the bones and shred it back into the sauce. Remove the cinnamon and cloves. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cook your rigatoni al dente, toss directly in the ragù, and serve with a heavy hand of grated Pecorino.
Make it ahead: This ragù is better the next day. Make it on Saturday, refrigerate overnight, skim any solidified fat from the top, reheat gently and serve on Sunday. It also freezes beautifully for up to three months.