Florentine Tripe: the best recipe for trippa alla Fiorentina

Florentine tripe or trippa alla Fiorentina is a great-tasting traditional recipe for tripe made famous by Florence, Tuscany. While many Italian regions have their own take on tripe, trippa alla Fiorentina remains one of the most popular. Tripe is the stomach lining from cows, pigs, and sheep, and if you've never had tripe, it has a mild taste that soaks up the flavor of whatever sauce it's cooked in. Florentine tripe is full of rich tomato, fresh herbs, onion, carrot, garlic, and other delicious ingredients which make this mouthwatering dish truly outstanding.

What is Tripe?

Tripe is stomach lining from cows, sheep, and pigs, and there's a long history of tripe eating throughout many countries. Beef tripe is the most common tripe you'll encounter, but no matter what animal it comes from, well-prepared tripe is absolutely delicious! People have been enjoying tripe since Antiquity, with classic tripe dishes found everywhere from Italy (especially in Rome) to Spain, France, across Africa, Asia, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

The Secrets to Making the Best Florentine Tripe

– Buy processed tripe for this recipe. Unprocessed tripe is more difficult to work with.

– You can use either fresh or canned tomatoes for this recipe. When they're in season, fresh tomatoes are especially delicious.

– Florentine tripe tastes even better when made ahead of time. For the best flavor, prepare it a day in advance.

How to Store Trippa alla Fiorentina

Place leftover tripe in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3 days.

How to Make Florentine Tripe

Making traditional Florentine Tripe is easy, but it requires several main steps you can't skip.

How to clean the tripe

Cut the tripe into short strips. Place the tripe in 4 quarts of boiling water mixed with 1 cup of vinegar and poach for 15 minutes. Remove foam as it rises to the top. Remove the tripe and rinse with water.

How to cook the Tripe

– Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook the onions, carrot, and celery, bay leaves, and garlic cooking until the onions become soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the concentrated tomato paste and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

– Add the tripe and remaining olive oil to the vegetable mixture, stir and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

– Turn up the heat, and add the wine. Once the wine has reduced, add in the tomato puree and basil. Place a lid over the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for a minimum of 1 hour up to 2 and a half hours, depending on how tender you like your tripe.

– Periodically add some stock to the pot to thin out the sauce – you can use more or less depending on how thick you want it.

– Before serving, add in the cheese.

Notes

– Serve tripe with fresh crusty bread or dinner rolls.

– You can also use Grana Padano cheese if you can't find any Parmigiano-Reggiano.