Minestra Maritata Napoletana — The Original Married Soup

Place the pork ribs, ham bone, and pork rind in a large pot (at least 6-litre capacity). Cover with 2.5 litres of cold water. Bring to a full boil over high heat, then skim aggressively — grey foam will rise for the first 10 minutes. Remove all of it.

Add the whole sausages and the salami to the pot. Reduce heat to a bare simmer — the surface should barely tremble. Cook uncovered for 2 hours, skimming every 20–30 minutes. The broth should reduce by about a third and deepen in colour.

While the pork simmers, bring a separate large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Blanch the broccoli rabe for 3 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon, then blanch the escarole for 2 minutes, then the chicory for 2 minutes. Drain all greens and squeeze out excess water firmly with your hands.

Slice the garlic thinly. In a wide frying pan over medium heat, cook the lardo or pancetta until its fat has fully rendered and the pieces are lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chili flakes. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.

Add all three blanched greens to the pan. Season with a pinch of salt and toss well to coat in the fat. Sauté over medium-high heat for 5–7 minutes, turning frequently, until the greens are glossy and well flavoured.

After 2 hours, lift all the meat from the broth with a slotted spoon or tongs. Strip the rib meat from the bones — discard the bones. Slice the sausages into coins. Tear or roughly slice the salami. Cut the pork rind into bite-sized pieces. Remove and discard the ham bone.

Taste the broth. Skim off visible fat pools. If the broth seems thin, raise the heat and reduce for 10–15 minutes — it should coat a spoon lightly and have clear body. Adjust salt.

Return all the shredded and sliced meats to the broth. Add the sautéed greens. Bring back to a gentle simmer and cook together for 20 minutes, so the greens absorb the broth fat and the soup reaches a thick, stew-like consistency.

Taste once more and adjust salt. Ladle into deep bowls and serve immediately with crusty bread and grated pecorino romano at the table.