Tripe stew
Tripe stew is one of the best-loved and most important dishes of Genoa’s gastronomic tradition, so much so that this recipe can already be found in the first cookbook that collected typical local dishes in one volume: Ratto’s famous 19th-century ‘Cuciniera genovese’. In this collection, stewed tripe alla genovese was proposed in its poorest version, only with the sauce and not accompanied by potatoes and/or beans.
For a long time, tripe was a popular daily diet food in the city: tripe broth in particular was typical. Until the middle of the last century, the tripperie were busy places that fed workers who had come off their shifts every hour. Unfortunately, that of the tripperie is a tradition that has been lost and few shops are still open.
The ‘Cuciniera genovese’ is the progenitor of the Genoese cookbooks, the first publication to deal comprehensively with this subject. It was initially edited by G.B. Ratto and for subsequent editions by his son. It was published in 1863 by ‘Fratelli Pagano’. It is therefore a text that has above all historical value, and in the meantime traditional recipes have evolved in parallel. Here is the version of tripe stew from the 1893 collection:
First provide yourself with the amount of tripe you need, making sure it is from young oxen and in the centopelle, and cut it into very thin strips. Then brown in a saucepan with butter and the necessary salt, an onion, celery, parsley, a handful of dried mushrooms and carrot, all well chopped together. When it is well browned, toss the tripe in the prepared sauce, and cook slowly for at least an hour. Serve with good cacio parmigiano cheese.
Tripe stew
INGREDIENTS FOR TRIPE STEW
HOW TO MAKE STEWED TRIPES
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Cooking tripe
Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for half an hour. Meanwhile chop the onion and rosemary. When the mushrooms are ready, chop them finely. Brown the chopped onion and rosemary with the mushrooms and bay leaf. Wash the tripe and cook it. Add the white wine, let it evaporate quickly and cover with a lid. Leave to cook on a low heat for an hour. Keep an eye on the tripe to make sure it doesn't dry out too much, turn it with a spoon every now and then, and add water if necessary.
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Add potatoes and beans
After an hour, we peel the potatoes and cut them into large pieces. We uncover and add the potatoes to the cooking tripe. Adjust with the stock because the potatoes certainly absorb a lot of liquid. Also add the tomato paste and if necessary taste for salt. Cook for another half an hour, still on a low heat. Finally add the boiled beans, the last ten minutes, when the potatoes are almost ready. Add grated cheese to the dish if desired.
