Tripe is a type of food that is one of the four parts of a cow's stomach. Tripe (which can come from a variety of animals, but is usually a hoofed farm animal) is consumed worldwide as an important food ingredient in local dishes. It turns out tripe can be cooked anything. Tripe can be used in a variety of dishes, such as soups, stir-fries, and even traditional pasta. If you're not used to eating food made from animal internal organs, then eating large amounts of tripe may seem daunting, but don't worry, with these tips, preparing a delicious tripe dish is easy work!
Ingredients
- Beef tripe
- Rock salt
- Water
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Spices and herbs such as parsley, cloves, pepper, or bay leaf.
- Vegetables such as onions, celery, cilantro, or carrots
Step
Part 1 of 3: Cleaning and Preparing the Tripe
Step 1. Check the cleanliness of the tripe
Since tripe comes from the stomach of a cow, it contains the last of the food the cow ate, which you certainly don't want to eat. Tripe is sold at butcher shops in various variations, “green tripe,” “cleaned tripe,” and the most commonly sold in North America is “bleached tripe.” Each type of tripe requires a different cleaning procedure, so it's important to know what type of tripe you're working with:
- Green tripe is the part of the cow's stomach that basically doesn't change after being removed from the cow's stomach. As the name suggests, this tripe has a greenish or grayish color. This type of tripe needs to be emptied and cleaned before cooking (see instructions below).
- Cleaned tripe is tripe that has been rinsed and washed to remove the entrails of the cow. It is lighter in color than tripe green and requires little preparation in the cleaning and washing process.
- Bleached tripe (or “bleached”) is tripe that has been cleaned, then soaked in chlorine to kill germs, so that the tripe becomes very pale in color. This is the cleanest type of tripe you can buy, but unfortunately it has to be washed several times to remove the strong chlorine smell and taste.
Step 2. Clean the tripe if necessary
The exact tripe cleaning process varies depending on the tripe conditions (see above). The tripe from the butcher shop has been cleaned, but if the tripe you bought hasn't been cleaned or you prefer organic, untouched tripe, you can clean the tripe in the kitchen with a few ingredients you have at home:
- Rub rock salt on the tripe, to remove any indigestible food debris (or “sand”). Wash with cold water. If necessary, use a clean toothbrush to clean hard-to-reach areas. This way, you empty the cow's stomach of the partially digested leftovers. Repeat this step until the "sand" is gone.
- Soak the tripe in a solution mixture consisting of one or two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide with enough water to soak the tripe (turn and squeeze the tripe occasionally) for an hour. Hydrogen peroxide is a disinfectant and a bleaching agent.
- Discard the hydrogen peroxide solution and wash the tripe several times with water (squeeze it out as you wash it). Trim the edges that are still not clean. The end result is that the tripe should no longer smell.
- After soaking, scrape the inside of the tripe with a knife to remove the inner membrane. Beef stomach is a complex network, some of which are delicious to eat but others that are not. The inner membrane should be removed if it is still present.
Step 3. Cut the tripe to the same thickness
The thickness of raw tripe varies according to its size. Unfortunately, the different thickness of the tripe can make the tripe not cook evenly when cooked. Put down the tripe and examine it carefully to find out. If you see a very thick section, use a sharp knife to make a “butterfly” shape (slice the tripe until it splits and is the same thickness).
Step 4. Slice the tripe and boil it by parboiling
Parboiling is a process in which food is boiled without other ingredients and will later be used as ingredients to be cooked into other dishes. Use a sharp knife to cut the tripe into thin stem slices or squares. Mix the tripe pieces in a pot of brine (2 tablespoons/34g salt for every 1 liter of water). Boil for 15-30 minutes. When it is cooked, drain the water and wash the tripe. Once boiled, the tripe will be softer and ready to be cooked into various dishes. Read on how to season tripe below.
Don't forget to wash your hands after handling raw tripe, even if you've washed the tripe thoroughly
Part 2 of 3: Seasoning the Tripe
Step 1. Prepare the broth
Place the tripe in a saucepan and season with herbs and vegetables (such as onions, carrots, celery, bay leaf, parsley, cloves, and pepper). Add water and add sufficient amount of salt. Boil the tripe.
-
This is your chance.
Play with your creativity! The final taste of the tripe depends on the content of the broth you are cooking. Add seasonings that you think are appropriate for the tripe, for example a little extra pepper can give the tripe a real sensation, while a few slices of ginger will give your dish a distinctly Asian influence.
- Note that as long as there are enough ingredients to give a strong flavor, the proportions of the broth are very flexible. Feel free to add, modify, and remove certain ingredients to suit your taste buds.
Step 2. Boil the tripe over low heat for one to three hours or until the tripe becomes soft
When the broth boils, reduce the heat to a low. When the tripe is boiled with the broth, it will slowly soften and absorb the flavor of the broth. After about 90 minutes, start checking the consistency of the tripe every 10-15 minutes. The tripe is "ripe" when it reaches the consistency you want.
The taste to suit individual tastes will vary depending on the ideal consistency of the tripe. For example, there is a recipe that recommends cooking tripe for more than four hours for it to become very mushy
Step 3. Save the broth
The delicious and flavorful leftover broth that comes from boiling tripe is great for adding a distinct flavor to tripe for other recipes. Alternatively, this broth can be used as a complementary soup to your tripe dish. The two dishes have a similar taste, so the soup will balance the tripe taste.
If the tripe is soft but the broth is still runny, you can continue to boil it or remove the tripe and let it simmer. By continuing to boil the broth, the water will slowly run out and the delicious ingredients will remain
Part 3 of 3: Adding Tripe to Other Dishes
Step 1. Create a menudo
Menudo is a large, thick Mexican dish that uses tripe along with various spices and you can add pork leg! Add Mexican spices to the broth, namely coriander, lime, oregano, red chili, as an appetizer, then serve on bread or tortillas so your guests can dip them into the delicious and strong menudo sauce.
Step 2. Add tripe to the pho dish
Pho is a Vietnamese soup that has become very popular in North America in recent years. Pho comes in many variations, but tripe is the most common ingredient. Add bean sprouts, ginger, fish sauce, basil, noodles, and other of your favorite pho ingredients to the tripe broth!
Step 3. Make a pasta dish with tripe
Tripe has a long history in European cuisine. To make a delicious pasta dish, prepare a large pot of seasoned tomato-based pasta sauce, then add the tripe, and simmer for a few hours. Add this sauce to the tender pasta. The soft texture of the tripe balances the soft texture of the pasta perfectly.
Step 4. Add tripe to your favorite dish
Tripe can be added to any dish, so when you're confident about preparing and cooking tripe, put your newfound skills to the test by creating your own recipe. Possible dishes include tripe soup (made from the tripe broth you saved), tripe with thick gravy, as well as other dishes that deviate from the previously discussed “gravy” recipes, such as fried tripe slices, and even stir-fried tripe. Experiment to your heart's content!
