Roman-Style Tripe

Ingredients

• 800 g Beef tripe
• 600 g Tomatoes
• 1 Onion
• 1 Carrot
• 1 stalk Celery
• 1 clove Garlic
• 100 ml White wine
• 4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
• 10 leaves Mint
• 80 g Pecorino romano
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 pinch Black pepper

Steps

1. Put the tripe in a large pot, cover with water and blanch for 15 minutes.
2. Drain it in a colander and rinse several times under running water; cut it into strips about 1 cm wide.
3. In a wide pan heat the extra-virgin olive oil and gently brown the thinly sliced onion together with the diced carrot, the chopped celery and the whole garlic clove.
4. Add the tripe with a pinch of salt and pepper, add a few mint leaves and let it take on flavour for a few seconds, stirring with a wooden spoon.
5. Deglaze with the dry white wine and let it evaporate.
6. Crush the peeled tomatoes and add them to the tripe, stir, lower the heat and cook covered for about 50 minutes, stirring from time to time and adding a little hot water if it dries out too much.
7. When the tripe is tender, taste and adjust the salt.
8. Stir in the remaining torn mint leaves and remove the garlic clove.
9. Serve hot in bowls with a generous dusting of grated pecorino romano and a few extra mint leaves on top.

Tips

• Buy tripe that is already cleaned and pre-cooked from a trusted butcher to keep the prep simple; honeycomb tripe gives the best texture.
• The fresh mint is essential and non-negotiable in the Roman version — never substitute it with basil or parsley.