Tripe Di Calabria or Trippa con patate (Tripe and potatoes)
Mention the dish tripe or Tripe Di Calabria (cow intestine) and you’ll get the inevitable, “oh, I don’t like tripe” or “I don’t like the texture.” However, like many Italian delicacies tripe is misunderstood and when cooked appropriately has a wonderful flavor that is mild and subtle. In our house, tripe is a special occasion type of dish and made in the style of Calabria including carrots, potatoes, and celery. Up until the late 1970’s trough the mid 1980’s tripe was a bi-monthly dish in our parent’s small Calabrian village, but like many food traditions tastes are changing in southern Italy (as they are throughout most of Italy) and Trippa has become a special occasion type of meal (the whole snout to tail cooking/way of eating is slowly going away as more Western ways of eating are adopted by a younger generation of Italians).
Our version of Tripe Di Calabria or Trippa con patate (Tripe and potatoes) is easy to prepare (especially if you can find the pre-boiled tripe at your local market) so take a “food” leap of faith and make the dish for your family!
- 2-3 tablespoons of white or red wine
- One can of tomatoes or passato
- 4-6 potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher Salt and pepper
- 1.5 - 2 pounds of pre-boiled tripe, cut into small pieces
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
- 2 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
- In a large pot add olive oil and cook the onion, carrot, and celery. Adding salt and pepper. Add the tripe and stir for a few minutes. Add the wine and stir. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf. Stir and cover with a lid. Cook (simmer) for 30 minutes and add the potatoes. Cook for another 15 minutes (45 minutes total) or until the ingredients are tender.
- Note: you should purchase pre-boiled tripe (cut in pieces) if possible (as they do in Italy). If not, you'll need to boil the tripe ahead of time
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