Trippa alla romana is Rome's beloved Saturday lunch—honeycomb tripe braised in a tomato-mint sauce with Pecorino Romano that transforms the humble stomach lining into a comforting, deeply flavoured dish consumed with almost ritualistic regularity across the city. The tradition of eating tripe on Saturday is so entrenched in Roman culture that 'sabato trippa' (Saturday tripe) is a phrase that requires no explanation. The preparation uses pre-cleaned honeycomb tripe, cut into strips, braised slowly in a sauce of olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, white wine, and San Marzano tomatoes, with the Roman signature of mentuccia (or regular mint as a substitute) stirred in toward the end. The braising takes 1-2 hours until the tripe is completely tender—it should yield to a fork without resistance while retaining a pleasant, slight chew. A generous shower of grated Pecorino Romano finishes each serving, melting into the hot tomato sauce. The dish is modest in appearance but immensely satisfying—the tripe absorbs the tomato sauce during braising, becoming deeply flavoured throughout, while its gelatinous texture provides a richness that belies its status as a cheap cut. Trippa alla romana is part of the quinto quarto tradition of Testaccio, and is sold from dedicated street vendors (tripperia) as well as served in traditional Roman trattorie. The Roman approach to tripe is distinct from the Milanese busecca (which is more soupy and includes beans) or the Florentine lampredotto (which uses the fourth stomach, abomasum, cooked in broth).
Honeycomb tripe, cut into strips. Braise in tomato sauce with onion, carrot, celery, white wine. Add mentuccia or mint near the end. Cook until tender but slightly chewy. Finish with generous Pecorino Romano. Traditionally served on Saturdays.
Pre-cleaned tripe from a good butcher saves hours of preparation. A splash of vinegar in the initial boiling water removes any residual smell. The mentuccia should be added in the last 10 minutes to preserve its fragrance. The dish reheats beautifully—some argue it's better the second day.
Under-cooking (tripe must be truly tender). Using non-honeycomb tripe. Skipping the mentuccia/mint (essential Roman touch). Not enough Pecorino at serving. Making it too thin—the sauce should be concentrated.
Ada Boni, La Cucina Romana; Rachel Roddy, Five Quarters