Ingredients

  • 1 pound honeycomb tripe, well rinsed, sliced into strips, 3"x 1/2"
  • 6 ounces chick peas (soaked overnight)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or lard
  • About 1 ounce guanciale (or pancetta) thinly sliced
  • 1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 ribs celery, sliced very thin plus whatever celery leaves are attached
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 1/2 cups of your best tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (or more to your heat level)
  • Coarse sea salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • Fresh mint
  • Pecorino romano

Method

  • Place the tripe strips in a deep pot and cover them with water. Season with a generous amount of coarse sea salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until tender.
  • Heat the olive oil (or lard) in a saute pan. Add the guanciale (pancetta) and allow to color. Give the garlic cloves a couple of smacks. Sautee with the onion and the pepper flakes. Add the chopped celery and celery leaves and continue to cook for about 5 minutes and then hold off heat.
  • Add your now tender trippa to another deep pot. Add the saute mix along with the white wine and tomato sauce. Season with ground black pepper. You will probably need to add a bit more water. Spoon in the chickpeas. Cook slowly for about 45 minutes to an hour.*
  • Grate the pecorino and chop the mint and place in separate bowls. Finish the dish with a bit of each but leave the bowls out on the table for your guests to add as they like.
  • *A slow cooker can be very convenient for this final stage. You can go take a nap or something because your work is done.