The last few years the nasty bits have been in fashion.  Chefs love the low cost, and diners love the sense of adventure.  Livers, kidneys, tongues, and trotters have found there way to tables of expensive restaurants.  I foresee a swing back to the glamor cuts–the filet and pork tenderloin–once prized, lately criticized as flavorless, when offal inevitably becomes a bore.

For the home cook, however, these cuts can still be had for a few dollars a pound.  They can be quite delicious, despite being inexpensive.  At home, one need not adhere to the trends of restaurant chefs.  Cook what you like.  Cook what you can afford.  Cook tripe.

Mise en Place

Equipment

• large bowl
• large pot
• colander
• meat grinder
• pasta pot

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs tripe
• 1/4 lb pancetta
• canola oil
• olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 3 tbs porcini powder
• 14 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes, roughly pureed
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup mint, chopped
• 1 cup Pecorino Romano, grated

1) Prepare the tripe.  Place the trip in a large bowl covered with cold water.  Allow to soak for one 1/2 hour.  Rinse the tripe and soak for another 1/2 hour in clean water.  Drain and rinse the tripe once again and place in a large pot, covering with clean water. Bring to a gentle simmer and maintain for 4 hours, adding more water as necessary to keep the tripe covered.  Remove the tripe with tongs and rinse with cold water.  Cut into 2 inch sqaure chunks and place in freezer for 15 minutes.

2) Grind the tripe and pancetta.  When the tripe is slightly firm remove from the freezer and grind coarsely.  Cut the pancetta into 1 inch chunks before grinding.

3) Brown the tripe and pancetta.  Place a few tbs of canola oil in a large skillet.  Place the ground meat in the cold skillet, before turning heat to medium.  Brown well before transferring to a colander, set over a dish, allow the excess fat to drain.

4) Lightly brown the vegetables.  Place carrot, onion, celery and 1/4 cup olive oil in a large pot over medium low heat.  Cook until the vegetables are lightly browned.  Add the porcini powder, tsp of salt, and few turns of the the pepper grinder.  Stir with a spatula to incorporate.

5) Simmer the tripe.  Add the tomato puree, red wine, and browned meat to the pot and bring to a gentle simmer for one hour.  Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.  Add the milk and simmer for another 20 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6) Boil the pasta and finish in the pot.  Boil the pasta to just short of al dente before transferring to the pot with the bolognese along with a cup of pasta water.  Flip the contents of the pot several times before allowing the sauce to reduce a bit and coat the pasta.  Take the pot off the heat and add the Pecorino Romano and herbs.  Flip the contents of the pot several more times to incorporate.  Transfer to a serving dish and top with additional Pecorino Romano and herbs to finish.