What about Tripe? On old times the good cuts of meat were for rich people only. Tripe was the only cheap meat that poor people could buy. Different kinds of preparations were experimented and so many recipes for tripe were born.  Usually fishermen, workmen and “Camalli” fed themselves and their families with tripe. Please go to “Aldentekitchen – My Stories – Vinegar, Tripe & Madonna Faith” for further datails.

Tripe is part of the stomach of the ruminant, especially Cow stomach, cleaned and washed and pre-cooked is available in many markets worldwide.

 

 Straight from the tradition of “Camalli” my Granfather “Pierin” tought me how to do “Trippa Accumuda” or Dumped Tripe. To me the best part of Tripe is the :”foiolo” known also as “millefogli” or “centopelli” is that in the picture.

Ingredients:

two pounds (one kilo) of cleaned and washed Cow Tripe

one glass of Green Olives – one glass of Black Olives

one fist of  PineCones – one fist of Capers (under Vinegar is better if the Capers are under salt wash them with fresh water to clean the salt)

3-4 Tomatoes (or half-liter of Tomato juice or sauce)

one glass of White Wine – 3-4 pinches of Marine Salt

three-four Potatoes – three or four Garlic cloves

 1-2 Onions – few Laurel Leaves

half glass of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 

wash the “Foiolo” Tripe in fresh cold water

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

offal and internal organs of animals offer to us particular tastes which are so different from the commercial food. Tripe, Heart, Kidneys, Brain, Spleen and Liver are still commonly used today by Italian housewives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cut the Tripe in smaller pieces

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 pour half glass of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in to a large pot, adding the chopped Onion to fry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 as the Onion fades add the Garlic to complete our “Soffritto”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 as the Garlic get color add the Tripe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 mix well to make every piece of Tripe oily, tripe doesn’t have to fry now, just make it oily

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 then add both the Olives: Green and Black

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 add the glass of White Wine…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 …and stir….do you notice the good smell?…eh eh eh!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 add the Pine-Cones and the Capers…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 …then the Laurel Leaves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 and stir!

the smell is getting better and better, isn’t it? !!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 you have to add the Marine Salt now! put only two pinches of it for now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cover with a lid and let it cook for 12-15 minutes with slow fire, every two-three minutes open, stir and then cover again

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 part of the wine will evaporate but Tripe got the wine taste…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 cut the Potatoes in pieces and add to the Tripe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 cut the Tomatoes in pieces and add them, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You could also use a prepared Tomato Sauce (see category “Preparation-Sauces”) or tomato juice, or both of them…it’s your choice…what I prefer: half and half.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 stir well mixing everything and cook another 10 minutes then…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 …it is time to check the salinity… 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 …: add more Marine Salt only if needed!

 add the salt in small quantities a time, stir and re-check again until you get the right taste

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

also check if the Potatoes are cooked, then you need to leave for a while on the fire: this in order to dry a little bit the preparation, the sauce should be liquid but not too much…in order to avoid the sauce jumps every where burning your hands and face, keep the lid little open using a wooden tool under the lid…hey! pay attention that the wooden tool does get fire!

 

 

 

 

 …hmmm…lovely Tripes…this is a simple dish which show us the bountifulness of our life…thank you “Pierin”!!!