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Lampredotto fiorentino sandwich open on butcher paper showing tender tripe strips, salsa verde, and red chili sauce on a wooden board

Lampredotto Fiorentino: Florence's Classic Tripe Sandwich

Lampredotto fiorentino is beef abomasum simmered low and slow in a tomato and vegetable broth, then served in a bread roll dipped in the cooking liquid with salsa verde.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 420
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the lampredotto broth
  • 800 g beef abomasum (lampredotto), pre-cleaned Ask for the fourth stomach, sold pre-blanched at Italian butchers
  • 1 large white onion halved
  • 2 celery stalks cut into large chunks
  • 1 medium carrot peeled, cut into large chunks
  • 400 g canned whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes crushed by hand
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves lightly crushed
  • 4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt adjust at the end
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 1.2 liters water enough to cover the lampredotto by 3 cm
For the salsa verde
  • 40 g flat-leaf parsley leaves packed
  • 3 anchovy fillets in oil drained
  • 1 tbsp capers, rinsed salt-packed or brined
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt
For the salsa piccante
  • 4 tbsp tomato passata
  • 1 tsp fresh red chili or dried chili flakes adjust to your heat preference
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 garlic clove finely grated
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt
To serve
  • 4 semelle or crusty bread rolls plain, with a tight crumb - ciabatta rolls work well

Method
 

Make the salsa verde
  1. Combine the parsley, anchovy fillets, capers, and garlic in a small food processor. Pulse 4 to 5 times until roughly chopped.
  2. Add the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Pulse once more until you have a coarse, textured sauce, not a smooth paste. Season with a pinch of salt, taste, and set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Make the salsa piccante
  1. Stir together the tomato passata, chili, olive oil, and grated garlic in a small bowl. Season with salt. Leave to sit at room temperature while you cook the lampredotto.
Simmer the lampredotto
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion halves cut-side down, the celery, and the carrot. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the edges are pale gold and the onion is fragrant.
  2. Add the crushed garlic and parsley sprigs. Stir for 1 minute until the garlic is just fragrant but not browned.
  3. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and stir to coat the vegetables. Cook for 3 minutes until the tomato darkens slightly.
  4. Add the whole lampredotto to the pot. Pour in the water until the lampredotto is submerged by at least 3 cm. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to the lowest setting.
  5. Simmer very gently, with the lid slightly ajar, for 90 to 120 minutes. The lampredotto is done when a fork slides through the thickest part with no resistance. Add a little boiling water if the level drops too low during cooking.
  6. Remove the lampredotto to a board. Taste the broth and adjust salt. Keep the broth at a low simmer on the stove.
  7. Slice the lampredotto across the grain into strips about 8 to 10 mm wide. Return the strips to the warm broth.
Assemble the sandwiches
  1. Split each roll. Using tongs or a ladle, briefly dip the bottom half of each roll into the hot broth for 3 to 4 seconds until the crumb is moist but the roll still holds its shape.
  2. Use tongs to pile a generous amount of lampredotto strips onto the bottom of each roll, then spoon over a little extra broth to keep it juicy.
  3. Add a generous spoonful of salsa verde over the lampredotto. Add salsa piccante to taste. Close the sandwich and serve immediately, wrapped in paper if you want the full buca effect.

Notes

If the lampredotto smells quite strong when you unwrap it, blanch it in plain boiling water for 5 minutes and rinse before starting the recipe. This step is optional but cleans up the flavor noticeably.