Pieds Paquets

Pieds et Paquets (Tripes à la Mode de Marseille)

A classic Marseille offal specialty of slow-braised pork trotters and stuffed beef tripe rolls, simmered with tomatoes, white wine, and plenty of garlic and parsley.

Prep

45 min

Cook

240 min

Total

285 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •4 whole pork trotters (front feet), split lengthwise by the butcher
• •1 kg (2.2 lb) beef honeycomb tripe (gras), blanched, cut into 12 rectangles (~10x15 cm)
• •300 g (10½ oz) beef middle stomach tripe (feuillet), blanched, cut to match the gras rectangles
• •250 g (8.8 oz) raw pork belly or shoulder, finely diced
• •100 g (3.5 oz) thin bacon or lardons, diced
• •1 whole bouquet garni (thyme, bay, parsley stems)
• •2 whole large yellow onions, finely chopped
• •6 cloves garlic, crushed, + 2 extra for finishing
• •400 g (14 oz) ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or canned crushed)
• •200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) dry white wine
• •1 L (4¼ cups) light beef or veal stock
• •2 tbsp olive oil
• •1 tbsp tomato paste
• •1 tsp black peppercorns, cracked
• •1 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
• •30 g (¼ cup) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, for finishing
• •1 whole large garlic clove, mashed to a paste, for finishing

Steps

1. 1 Prepare the tripe stuffing: in a bowl, combine the diced pork belly, bacon, half the chopped parsley, the 2 finishing cloves of crushed garlic, ½ tsp salt, and a generous grind of pepper. Mix well and chill.
2. 2 Lay the blanched tripe rectangles flat. Place a tablespoon or two of stuffing on each gras rectangle, then cover with a feuillet rectangle of equal size to form a packet ('paquet'). Roll each one up and tie securely with kitchen twine so they hold their shape during the long braise.
3. 3 Trim the trotters of any coarse hair with a kitchen torch or by scalding in just-boiled water, then rinse. Blanch the trotters in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes; drain and rinse under cold water (this removes scum and any bone-broth bitterness).
4. 4 In a large, heavy Dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and a pinch of salt and cook gently for 10–12 minutes until soft and translucent but not browned. Add the 6 crushed garlic cloves, peppercorns, and tomato paste and cook 2 more minutes.
5. 5 Add the tomatoes and cook 5 minutes, then pour in the white wine and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot. Return to a simmer and reduce by about one third, about 5 minutes.
6. 6 Add the stock and the bouquet garni. Nestle in the pork trotters, then arrange the tied tripe packets on top. The liquid should almost cover everything; top up with a little water if needed. Bring to a gentle simmer, skim any foam, then cover and reduce heat to low.
7. 7 Braise gently for 3½ to 4 hours. The trotters should be deeply tender (the gelatin should jiggle and the meat pull cleanly from the bone) and the tripe packets should be pierced easily with the tip of a knife with no resistance. Internal temperature of the stuffing should reach at least 85°C / 185°F for safety on the pork.
8. 8 Untie the paquets and taste the cooking liquid; reduce it by simmering uncovered for 10–15 minutes if you want a more concentrated sauce. Adjust salt.
9. 9 To finish, stir the remaining chopped parsley and the garlic paste into the sauce off the heat. Let stand 5 minutes so the raw garlic mellows.
10. 10 Serve hot, in deep plates: one trotter piece and two paquets per person, ladled generously with the sauce, traditionally accompanied by crusty bread or boiled potatoes to soak up the juices.