Buy the offal professionally cleaned and ready for cooking. Cook the spleen separately so its dark broth does not color the tripe stock.
Make ahead Cook the stew ahead if useful, cool promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate. Reheat thoroughly, adding a little water to loosen the sauce before filling the bread.
Morzello nella pitta
Prep 45 min · Cook 6 hr · Rest 15 min · Serves 6 · Difficulty Medium
Method
Put the tripe and beef fat in the stockpot with 2000 ml water and 12 g salt. Bring to a boil, skim, then simmer gently until a fork enters the tripe easily, allowing 90–180 minutes. Add hot water if needed to keep it covered. In separate pans, simmer heart, lung, esophagus and intestine in 2000 ml water, and the spleen in 1000 ml water, until tender.Put the tripe and beef fat in the stockpot with 8½ cups water and ½ oz salt. Bring to a boil, skim, then simmer gently until a fork enters the tripe easily, allowing 90–180 minutes. Add hot water if needed to keep it covered. In separate pans, simmer heart, lung, esophagus and intestine in 8½ cups water, and the spleen in 4¼ cups water, until tender.
Lift out the cooked offal and let it cool just enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Keep the tripe broth; discard the other cooking waters. Collect the fat from the tripe broth. Cut the tripe into narrow strips and the other offal into small pieces.Lift out the cooked offal and let it cool just enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Keep the tripe broth; discard the other cooking waters. Collect the fat from the tripe broth. Cut the tripe into narrow strips and the other offal into small pieces.
Melt the recovered fat in the wide casserole. Add all the chopped offal, chopped chili and bay leaves and stir for 3–4 minutes. Work in the tomato paste and passata, then add 1000 ml tripe broth. Keep the remaining broth hot for topping up. If the reserved broth is short, make up the amount with water.Melt the recovered fat in the wide casserole. Add all the chopped offal, chopped chili and bay leaves and stir for 3–4 minutes. Work in the tomato paste and passata, then add 4¼ cups tripe broth. Keep the remaining broth hot for topping up. If the reserved broth is short, make up the amount with water.
Add the oregano bundle and the remaining salt. Simmer very gently for about 3 hours, partially covered, adding tripe broth in small amounts when the sauce thickens too much. Stir along the bottom so the tomato does not catch. The offal should be tender in a loose, coating sauce. Remove the herb bundle and bay leaves. Use additional casseroles for a larger batch rather than filling one to the rim.Add the oregano bundle and the remaining salt. Simmer very gently for about 3 hours, partially covered, adding tripe broth in small amounts when the sauce thickens too much. Stir along the bottom so the tomato does not catch. The offal should be tender in a loose, coating sauce. Remove the herb bundle and bay leaves. Use additional casseroles for a larger batch rather than filling one to the rim.
Cut the pitta into portions and split each horizontally, leaving one side joined. Dip the cut edges into the hot sauce, then fill with the stew and serve immediately.Cut the pitta into portions and split each horizontally, leaving one side joined. Dip the cut edges into the hot sauce, then fill with the stew and serve immediately.
