Butcher shops in Italy generally sell cleaned and par-cooked veal or beef tripe, the inner-stomach lining; do not try to clean it yourself! Believe me! There are many delicious regional versions in Italy.
La Trippa alla fiorentina is braised with tomato and served on a slice of bread. The famous Trippa alla romana is served with cheese sauce and trippa alla Pisana cooked in a green sauce. In Lucca the sauce is made with cinnamon whereas in the Romagna region it has nutmeg.The Milanese tripe specialty, called Busecca involves two kinds of tripe cooked in a sauce flavoured with sage, served on pieces of bread, sprinkled with cheese and grilled. Bologna makes tripe with bacon, onions and garlic fried in oil and add beaten eggs and meat stock.
Tripe is high in protein (one of the most ancient proteins used in cuisine) and calcium and contains little fat and no carbohydrate, but it does contain cholesterol.
Simple steps
- Wash tripe under cold running water. Wash! Wash! Wash!
- Combine water, 2 kg tripe, lemon slices and bay leaves in a large stockpot over high heat. Bring to boil and skim off the foam that accumulates at the top. Do this more than once.
- Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 2 hours, drain and cool.
- Heat 3/4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add 3 or 4 thinly sliced onions and cook until translucent.
- Stir garlic into mixture.
- Add fresh chilli and a handful of black peppercorns.
- Slice 4 carrots and add to mixture.
- Add fresh celery, a great source of antioxidants. Buy it fresh, chop it up, add to the mixture and continue to cook over low heat. Saute’ the vegetables. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Add the tripe to the sauté and stir-fry for about 10 minutes tossing and turning.
- At this point, raise the flame and baste with 1/5 litre white wine stirring frequently for 10 minutes. Allow wine to evaporate.
- Add 1 kg cherry tomatoes or peeled tomatoes. Use freshly diced tomatoes if available.
- Cover and cook over low heat for about 2 hours, depending on how tender you prefer the tripe.
- Sprinkle 300 gr grated Romano cheese at the end and allow to sink into the sauce before mixing. Add more cheese when serving.
