Sa Trattalia is a typical dish of the Sardinian agro-pastoral tradition where all the entrails of the lamb are used. The real flavor of Sardinia does not emerge so much from the more famous porcetto (the traditional suckling pig that’s slowly roasted over open flame to this day) as it does from Sa Trattalia – a recipe that even tastes like history with its hearty ingredients and strong flavors. Throughout the island, you can find different variants of Sa Trattalia, but the most recognizable is the recipe that comes from one of Sardinia’s northeastern areas: Ogliastra.
The ingredients include the heart, lung, liver, spleen, small intestine, and peritoneum. They also serve slices of pork fat and slices of bread along with it. In general, lamb entrails are always used for this dish. Basically, all these pieces are leftover from the slaughter of the sheep and would be otherwise discarded. So instead, the entrails are roasted on a spit tied with the intestine of the lamb itself – but first, it’s wrapped in a layer of fat (not to be confused with Sa Cordula, that uses a part of the stomach instead).
(ph agugliastra.it)
Sa Trattalia: How to Make It
The elaboration of Sa Trattalia takes time because the entrails must be carefully washed in vinegar (if you want to, you can leave them to soak in vinegar for a few minutes) and in warm water. Then each portion of meat must be cut evenly and no larger than the palm of your hand. Take the spit and put a slice of lard on it followed by the heart, the lung, then the liver and finally, the spleen; then you start again in the same pattern, perhaps alternating a piece of bread with each block. Once you have finished the entrails, take the small intestine and weave it around the meat, using the peritoneum as a sort of narrow “net” (called sa nappa in Sardinian dialect). At the end of this phase, you can put the spit over the flame for about two hours turning slowly. After cooking the meat, salt it and Sa Trattalia is ready!
According to some people, it is possible to cook Sa Trattalia on the spit for a first phase with only the entrails unwrapped for about 45 minutes. After 45 minutes pass, wrap everything with the intestines and resume cooking. The result, however, does not change much: you still get a dish with a robust taste and aroma that should be served hot, resting on large slices of bread to absorb the fat and flavor of the roast and juniper twigs.