A recipe from ancient history that transforms veal intestine into a rich and tasty dish. Here are all the tips from Arcangelo Dandini to prepare it at its best.

On the cover, Pajata alla macellara with tomato, pictured by Lido Vannucchi.

At the bottom, the "in bianco" version, described in the recipe - Photo of the restaurant.

Veal Pajata alla "macellara" (according to the Roman "scortichini")

The chef tells us:

"Like the vast majority of Roman recipes, this one, dating back to the second half of the 1500s, has its roots in the Jewish ghetto.
The choice to add Pecorino at the end is a result of Christian (or Gentile) contamination, exclusively for the use and consumption of its followers, as Jews are forbidden to combine cheese with meat for religious reasons."

Ingredients for 6 people

Over 1 kg of veal pajata
500 g of Montoro red onions
100 g of Pecorino Romano
6 cloves
6 slices of Lariano or Genzano bread
White wine from the Roman hills
Extra virgin olive oil
Fine salt
Coarse salt

Method

Make a broth with 3 liters of water and 200 g of whole onions, having removed the outer part and studded them with cloves. Season with a handful of coarse salt.

Remove a good portion of the lateral fat from the pajata and let it run under running water for a few minutes.

In a deep pan over medium heat, add two generous rounds of oil and add the onions after chopping them roughly. Lightly salt. As soon as the onions begin to "sweat," add the pajata, after cutting it into sections and forming small "rings" of about 15 cm.

Cook for about 5 minutes, raise the heat, and deglaze with wine.

As soon as the wine evaporates, add the onion broth and cook over low heat for about an hour and a half.

Season with salt and serve on slices of bread with extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of Pecorino Romano.