Soffritto napoletano

Frank6 November 2021mains/secondi piatti, Naples and Campania, pasta42 Comments

We don’t often think about it, but meats also have seasons. Just as lamb is a talisman of the spring, autumn and early winter is pork season. In the days before freezers, it was the time of year when pigs were traditionally slaughtered. The colder weather acted as a natural preservative for the huge quantities of meat that the animal would yield.

Many dishes traditionally served at this time of year were originally devised to use up the whole hog—especially the more perishable bits—before spoilage set in. We’ve already seen one dish in this tradition, the Minestra dei morti, or Soup of the Dead, a Milanese dish originally made with cuts from the hog’s head, served for All Soul’s Day on November 2.

Today we’re taking a look at another dish in this ancient tradition, this time from the south: Soffritto napoletano, or o’suffritt’ in dialect. It uses a variety of different pork innards, soaked at length to remove any gaminess, then sautéed in lard and finally braised in a robust and spicy tomato sauce scented with chili peppers and herbs. This hearty dish is a fixture in Neapolitan cuisine still today, available ready-made in pork stores all over town.

Elsewhere you’ll need to make it yourself, but fortunately soffritto napoletano is extremely simple to make if a bit time-consuming. And the taste is out of this world, reminiscent in a way of the classic Neapolitan ragù, albeit with a stronger flavor, as befits its nickname zuppa forte, or “strong soup”. You can enjoy it as a stew, with some crusty bread, or as a chunky sauce for pasta. Either way, I think it’s delicious. If you’re an adventurous eater, do give it a try. And even if you’re not, do think about it. This tasty stew might even win over some sceptics of organ meats.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

1.5-2 kilos pork innards (see Notes)
1-2 red chili peppers, preferably fresh
1-2 bay leaves
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
Red wine, about 125ml/1/2 cup
250g (8 oz) tomato paste, more or less
100g (3-1/2 oz lard)
Salt and pepper

Direction

Cut the innards into bite-sized chunks, trimming any gristle as you go.

Place the cut up innards in a large bowl and cover with water. Let soak for about two hours, changing the water from time to time until the water runs clear. Drain well and let air dry for a few minutes, then finish off with paper towels.

Heat the lard in a large pot. When it’s hot, add the innards. The innards will turn color and then exude their liquid. Keep on simmering, stirring from time to time, until the liquid has evaporated and you begin to hear sizzling. Continue to sauté until the pieces begin to brown.

Add the chili pepper, bay leaf and rosemary and give the pot a stir. Sauté for a minute or so more, until you can smell the aromatics. Add a good pour of red wine and let it evaporate. Then add the tomato paste, which you will have loosened with a glassful of water, giving everything a stir. More water can go in if need be, so the liquid just covers the pork pieces.

Lower the heat and cover the pot. Let everything simmer very gently for two to three hours, until the pork pieces are fork-tender and the sauce dark and unctuous and flavorful.

Serve hot, with crusty bread. Or as a sauce for pasta.

Notes

As you will have seen, the dish isn’t complicated. That initial soak, however, is important to remove any unpleasant gaminess from the organ meats. Make sure the water runs completely clear before you proceed.

Otherwise, the biggest challenge in making this simple dish is finding the ingredients. A classic soffritto napoletano usually includes a variety of pork innards, including the heart, lung, spleen and (often but not always) liver. In old time recipes you also throw in the trachea. Most of these cuts, collectively referred to as the ‘coratella‘ in Italian, are essentially impossible to find in markets today. [If they’re not thrown away, they’re used for the production of pet food.] But if you’re lucky enough to be on friendly terms with a butcher, you may be able to source at least some of them.

And, as is often the case for organ meats and other unusual cuts, “ethnic” markets are usually a good bet. For this dish, I was able to find pork heart and liver at a local Chinese supermarket. Occasionally I’ve seen recipes for soffritto napoletano calling for tongue or kidney, which are still relatively easy to find, and can provide some of the variety of the traditional recipe. In short, use what you can find. After all, it’s the original spirit of the dish.

Surprisingly enough, the typical pastas recommended for this chunky sauce are long ones: bucatini, spaghettoni, spaghetti, linguine and fettuccine are all common choices. But the sauce goes very nicely with short pastas as well. Being a Neapolitan classic, I’d give paccheri a go.

If you really must, you can substitute olive oil for the lard, but your soffritto will suffer for it. Just as in a classic Neapolitan ragù, lard not only gives the dish its distinctive porky taste, but a soft, velvety mouthfeel that is characteristic of the dish.

Variations

In some version of this dish, a bit less tomato paste goes in, replaced by passata di pomodoro. It’s a variation that I’d recommend if you want to use your soffritto napoletano as a pasta sauce. Another common variation is adding some puréed red pepper sauce or salsa di peperoni. In a similar vein, some recipes call for a sprinkling of hot or mild paprika, for a little extra oomph. Not exactly DOC, if you ask me, but it does sound appealing.

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