Busecca, or Milanese Tripe Soup: According to Adriano de Carlo the word trippa, tripe in English, derives from the Arabic tarb, which means omentum, the folds of the peritoneum that cover the liver and the colon. I am not sure how one gets from omentum to the first stomach of the cow, but that’s what tripe is – no peritoneum involved. As is the case with the names of many other cuts of meat in Italy, trippa is not universal...
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) boiled veal tripe (see below link about tripe if need be)
- 12 ounces (300 g) cranberry beans, soaked overnight
- 2/3 pound (300 g) carrots, chopped
- 1/2 pound (200g) tomatoes (canned will be fine)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- Sage
- 2 onions, minced
- A small stick celery, minced
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- A sprig of sage
- Simmering meat stock or unsalted bouillon, if necessary
Preparation:
Take the boiled tripe and cut it into thin strips; fill a pot with water and simmer it for another hour. Towards the end of the hour, taste the stock, keeping in mind that seasonings will be added and therefore blandness is not a problem. If you like the taste, use it to make the soup. Otherwise, use beef stock or unsalted bouillon.
When the hour is almost up heat the butter and the oil in a casserole and sauté the onions. When they have become golden add the tripe with its liquid (or the alternative stock), and, a few minutes later, the beans, celery, carrots, tomatoes, and sage. Season the pot with salt and pepper, and add a little boiling water, but not too much (enough to cover). Cover and simmer over a gentle flame for about three hours, and serve it steaming hot, with a dusting of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padana.
When the hour is almost up heat the butter and the oil in a casserole and sauté the onions. When they have become golden add the tripe with its liquid (or the alternative stock), and, a few minutes later, the beans, celery, carrots, tomatoes, and sage. Season the pot with salt and pepper, and add a little boiling water, but not too much (enough to cover). Cover and simmer over a gentle flame for about three hours, and serve it steaming hot, with a dusting of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padana.
