Trippa

Tripe.
Not the most popular cut of meat (in this country), I know, but I like the chewy texture and I love it in a stew. I really fell in love with it when I had the Trippa Napoletana at A16, a modern Italian restaurant in the Marina district of San Francisco. I haven't been there since the chef, Nate Appleman, left to open a pizza place in Manhattan, so I don't know how it is now, but I do know this dish is still on the menu. I was introduced to A16 by a date , back in the good 'ole days of online dating, before the economic crisis, when I could get invited to a nice meal! One of the VERY few perks of online dating (for a woman anyway).....

Okay, on to the tripe!

I have never made anything with tripe before and when I found the A16 recipe here (and you can find it here) I was excited to try it. After going to Whole Foods (only because it's across the street), Berkeley Bowl (best grocery store ever!) and a fancy meat market, I finally found the tripe at a Korean supermarket 2 blocks away. Figures you have to go to Asia to buy pieces parts. This is also where I found the pig trotters, which I added to the recipe based on mom's recommendation. Isn't the little hoof cute?

The changes I made to the A16 recipe are the following: reducing the initial cooking time of the tripe (because when I followed the instructions to cook until the fork punctured the flesh easily, it was only about 40-60 minutes), adding the meat from a pig's foot  and adding chickpeas.

The chickpeas I added because I liked them in the tripe dishes I had recently in Spain. They add a nice nutty crunch texture that contrasts nicely with the chewiness of the tripe. After soaking the chickpeas overnight, I cooked them  separately in water with carrots, celery, onion and quarter of a pigs foot until they were barely crunchy, about 2 hours.

The pig's foot that went into the tripe dish I boiled with the tripe, and left it cooking in the boiling water for an hour longer than the tripe.

Trippa Napoletana-- adapted from the A16 recipe that is referenced here.

2 pounds honeycomb tripe, cleaned and ready to cook
1 pig's foot/trotter
¼ cup distilled white vinegar
Kosher salt

½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
½ red onion, diced (about 1 cup)
⅔ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon dried chile flakes
¼ cup tomato paste
¾ cup dry white wine
2 cups canned imported Italian tomatoes with juice, coarsely chopped
2 cups water
1 cup garbanzo beans- reconstituted dry beans are the most yummy
1 egg
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Serves 8 as a first course, or 4 to 6 as a main course

The tripe sold in stores these days has already been cleaned and partially cooked. So, it does not need to be cooked for very long after you buy it. Ask the butcher how much it has been processed when you buy it.

Rinse the tripe under cold running water. Put it and the pig's foot in a large, heavy bottomed pot and add the vinegar, a few generous tablespoons of salt, and enough water to cover it by several inches. Bring slowly to a boil, adjust the heat so it simmers, and skim off any foam from the surface with a ladle. Boil the tripe until it can be easily pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes. Remove the tripe, but keep cooking the pig's foot for about 30-40 minutes more, until the flesh starts coming off the bone. Allow the tripe to cool in some of its liquid.

Once cooled off, cut the tripe into 2-inch-wide ribbons, then slice the ribbons crosswise into thin ¼-inch-wide strips. When the pig's foot is ready, take it out and cut off meat and cartilage and set aside with the tripe. Dispose of the liquid that the tripe and foot were cooking in.




In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat ¼ cup of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, parsley, garlic, chile flakes, and a teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion has turned opaque.

Stir in the tomato paste and continue to cook for 5 minutes, or until the tomato paste darkens to a brick red, like this:

Pour in the wine and stir, making sure to dislodge any browned bits from the bottom and reduce the mixture until it is almost dry. Add the tripe, pig's foot, chickpeas, tomatoes and their juice, and water and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, or until the tripe has absorbed the flavor from the sauce and is tender, but not too soft or mushy.

At this point, it should be the consistency of a thick soup or stew. If it is too thick, add a splash of water to loosen it up. Keep in mind that it thickens a little more once you add the egg and the cheese. 

With a fork, beat together the egg and the Parmesan until blended. Stir the mixture into the tripe stew and heat, stirring just until the stew thickens. Serve warm with crusty bread. It might also be good served on creamy polenta.

I can not emphasize enough what a difference it makes when a drizzle of olive oil is added at the very end, or on top of the individual servings. Also, I found that it was a little too acidic on my first taste, but that the flavors really came together after it rested for a bit. This is definitely a dish I will add to my winter repertoire!