Welcome to the kitchen with Dadcook!
If you’re looking for the right inspiration to impress at the table with the genuine flavors of tradition, without getting lost in overly complicated procedures, you’re in the right place.
Today my journey in flavors starts from a staple of humble cuisine that evokes the homey warmth you love so much in my meat dishes, like the EXTRA TENDER BEEF STEW, the one slow-cooked for hours that melts in your mouth and has won many of you over.
But cooking also involves patience and special cuts.
If you’re among those who loved the succulent challenge of the BEEF HAMMER, the beer-cooked beef shank, you’ll adore the texture and intense aroma of this morzello.
After experimenting with the delicacy of PASTA WITH AMBERJACK AND TOMATOES and the elegance of my BAKED TURBOT WITH POTATOES, today we return to rustic simplicity with a dish that is a true symbol of Calabrian identity.
For those seeking a meal that tastes like home and togetherness, this recipe ranks among my favorite traditional dishes alongside Grandma Maria’s SAUSAGES AND TURNIP GREENS.
And if after such a bold dish you need a sweet and quick contrast, know that the practicality of this preparation will leave you with plenty of time to bake my CARROT CAKE, the one you can make with a blender in just 5 minutes! The secret of today?
Sharpen your knives and prepare plenty of good bread for dipping: let’s discover how to transform tripe and offal into a masterpiece of taste that everyone will love!
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- How to Cook Turnip Greens in a Pan: Easy and Quick Recipe
- Savory Crepes with Ham and Béchamel: The Original Recipe for Air Fryer
- Lamb Ragù Lasagna Recipe: A Traditional and Tasty First Course
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 10 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Stove, Slow cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, All seasons
- Energy 296.58 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 17.77 (g) of which sugars 5.62 (g)
- Proteins 35.81 (g)
- Fat 9.84 (g) of which saturated 2.81 (g)of which unsaturated 3.81 (g)
- Fibers 3.93 (g)
- Sodium 1,180.72 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 400 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
Ingredients for 4 people
- 1.76 lbs tripe
- 5.29 oz beef lung
- 5.29 oz beef heart
- 7.05 oz tomato paste
- 10.58 oz tomato passata
- to taste dried red chili pepper (Very spicy)
- 0.35 oz dried oregano (Abundant)
- 0.35 oz salt
- 4 leaves bay leaves
- 6.34 cups water
Tools
- 1 Pot Cocotec
- 1 Cutting Board Bafumio
- 1 Knife Shan Zu
Steps
Preparation of the meat
The secret to a good morzello begins with the correct handling of textures.
Although tripe and offal come already cleaned from the butcher, to achieve the typical small and precise cut we proceed as follows:
Heat both the heart and lung in boiling water for a few minutes: this step will ensure that the meats “seal” and become firmer.
Once they have cooled a little, you can cut them with extreme ease and safety, reducing them to tiny pieces along with the tripe.
Remember: the more meticulous the cut, the more enveloping the flavor will be in every bite.
Combination of “cold” ingredients
In a large pot with high sides, combine all the main ingredients of the recipe:
Add the finely chopped tripe and lung.
Add the tomato paste, the passata, the abundant crushed Calabrian chili pepper, and the bay leaves.
Cover everything with water and add the salt.
This “all together” technique allows the flavors to meld slowly during cooking.
The slow cooking and the aroma of oregano
Now is the time for patience, typical of Dadcook’s great recipes:
If you prefer an even more intense aroma, adjust again with more oregano to taste.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting.
Let it cook for about 2 hours, until the sauce has reduced, becoming dark and fragrant, and the meat is very tender.
The magical rest
Once the heat is turned off, don’t rush to serve:
Cover the pot and let the morzello rest for 10 minutes.
This step is crucial to allow the flavors to “resurface” and the sauce to settle.
Prepare the bread: if you don’t have Calabrian pitta, choose a rustic bread with a crispy crust, ideal for soaking up the generous sauce.
We are ready for the most awaited moment!
Serve the morzello piping hot.You can generously fill the bread, letting the sauce soak into the crumb, or serve it directly on the plate.
The watchword is one: dipping! Be prepared to make plenty because that spicy and fragrant sauce is addictive.
Conservation, Tips, Variations, and Notes
Conservation:
Morzello is one of those dishes that, like the BEEF STEW, tastes even better the next day.
In the fridge:
You can store it in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
In the freezer:
If you used fresh ingredients (not previously frozen), you can freeze it and store it for up to 3 months.
Thaw slowly in the fridge before reheating.
Tips for a Perfect Morzello
The cut: Take your time.
Cut the heart, lung, and tripe into very small pieces to ensure that every spoonful is rich in sauce and flavor.
The water temperature:
Always add hot water.
If you add cold water during cooking, you risk toughening the tripe and stopping it from boiling.
The dipping:
Even without the typical pitta, choose a bread with plenty of crumb and a hard crust (like rustic bread) to soak up all the spicy sauce.
Variations and Notes
Spice level:
The original recipe is very strong.
If you’re not used to it, start with half the amount of chili pepper and add more halfway through cooking.
No sauté:
Remember this version is “all raw”.
No need for oil or butter at the start:
the natural fat from the offal and the paste will create incredible creaminess.
Aromatic herbs:
Oregano must be dry and very fragrant.
Avoid fresh, which would give a very different aroma from the original Catanzaro recipe.
Avoid fresh, which would give a very different aroma from the original Catanzaro recipe.
💬 Have you tried this recipe?
I hope this Morzello Catanzarese, prepared with the ancient slow cooking method, brings all the warmth and authentic flavor of Calabria to your table!
It is a recipe that requires patience, but the result is a dish rich in character that I’m sure will become one of your “heart dishes” for special occasions.
If you have questions about offal cleaning, curiosity about the tradition, or variations to suggest, write me in the comments below: I always read everything with great pleasure and I’m excited to discover how you interpret my recipes.
And don’t forget to follow me on DadCook to not miss the latest news and all the “rock” recipes I publish every week!
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a pressure cooker to speed up the times?
Yes, you can do it if you’re short on time, but remember that the true Morzeddhu calls for slow cooking.
With a pressure cooker, times halve (about 45-50 minutes from the whistle), but you will have to pay close attention to the amount of water (you’ll need less) and make sure to reduce the sauce well with the pot open once the pressure is released, to achieve the right thicknessDoes the tripe need to be pre-boiled?
In this “all together” recipe, the ideal is to use tripe and lung already cleaned by the butcher.
If you buy them raw and untreated, you will need to blanch them in water and lemon before proceeding with cutting and cooking in the sauce.What if the morzello is too spicy?
Spiciness is the signature of this dish! However, if you’ve overdone it, you can temper the heat by serving the morzello with plenty of rustic bread (or pitta if you find it) that will help balance the strength of the Calabrian chili pepper.
Can it be prepared in advance?
Absolutely yes! In fact, preparing it the day before allows the flavors to blend perfectly. You only need to reheat it on a very low flame, adding a touch of water if it seems too thick.
