Zuppa di Soffritto Abruzzese — Pork Offal Soup in Spiced Tomato Broth

Ingredients

• 300 g pork heart, diced into 1 cm cubes
• 300 g pork lung, diced into 1 cm cubes
• 150 g pork liver, diced into 1 cm cubes; use no more than one third of the total offal weight
• 150 g pork kidney, optional; soaked in cold water for 1 hour, drained, diced into 1 cm cubes
• 80 g lard
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp sweet paprika (paprika dolce), dried; generous quantity
• 1 tsp dried peperoncino, crushed; adjust to heat preference
• 400 g crushed tomatoes
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 300 ml water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 4 thick slices stale bread, coarse country loaf, placed in serving bowls
• fine salt, to taste

Method

1. 1
   If using kidney, submerge in cold water and soak for 1 hour. Drain and pat dry. Cut all offal — heart, lung, liver, and kidney if using — into 1 cm cubes. Pat every piece completely dry with kitchen paper; surface moisture will prevent browning.
2. 2
   Heat the lard in a wide, heavy pan over the highest flame. Working in small batches so the pan temperature does not fall, add the offal pieces in a single layer. Each piece must brown on the outside within 60 seconds; if the sizzle drops or steam rises instead of smoke, the pan has cooled — remove the batch immediately, raise the heat, and wait before continuing. This is the step on which the dish lives or dies: a high, uncompromising sear seals the surface and prevents the offal from toughening and greying during the long simmer; gentle heat at this stage cannot be recovered. Remove all browned offal to a plate and reserve.
3. 3
   In the same lard over medium heat, add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the sweet paprika and the dried peperoncino. Stir for 30 seconds; the fat will turn a deep brick-red and the spices will smell toasted but not sharp.
4. 4
   Add the crushed tomatoes. Stir well, scraping any residue from the base of the pan. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the tomato has thickened slightly and darkened in colour.
5. 5
   Return all the browned offal to the pan. Add the white wine, water, bay leaves, and rosemary sprig. Stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 45 to 60 minutes. The offal is done when a 1 cm cube of heart yields without resistance to the tip of a knife but is not falling apart; the broth will be deeply coloured, thick, and glossy.
6. 6
   Remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprig. Adjust seasoning with salt. For best results, cool the soup and refrigerate for one day before reheating; the spiced tomato broth consolidates overnight. Reheat gently, covered, over low heat until the broth is bubbling throughout.
7. 7
   Place one thick slice of stale bread in each wide bowl. Ladle the soup over and around the bread generously; the bread will begin absorbing the broth immediately and become the substance of the dish. Serve at once.