Tripe Recipes

It Comes From Where?

Those of us who are meat lovers rarely stop and think about the body part of the animal we are consuming. That is, until someone mentions specialty meats. Just the category name alone brings forth the occasional grimace and “ugh” from those of us that don’t dare go beyond our personal animal protein boundaries. Mention tripe and nine out of ten people won’t know what it is, and those of us who do will most likely turn up our noses. Tripe is one of those dishes where the saying, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”, applies. Tripe comes from the second stomach of a cow. The honeycomb or reticulum is the tripe of choice because it’s the most tender.

Most tripe is cleaned, bleached, and par-cooked prior to selling, but it is highly recommended that it be cleaned again prior to cooking. This specialty meat also perishes quickly so be advised to clean and use it immediately, or keep it frozen.

Cleaning Suggestions

• Scrub with a mixture of kosher salt and inexpensive vinegar. Rinse under cold running water. Repeat process 3 times.
• Wash with soap and water, and then submerge in water with 3-4 lemons, or in water with a sour orange. Boil for 2-3 minutes, throw the water out, and wash again in plain water.
• Clean and boil in water 3 times.

Smelly Belly

Be advised that no amount of cleaning will entirely eliminate the unpleasant smell of raw tripe. Perhaps the most popular tripe dish in North America is menudo, a Mexican soup said to cure a cold and a hangover. Menudo is a combination of tripe, hominy, pig’s feet, and traditional Mexican spices like cumin, and chili powder. The average cooking time is five hours. Other nations have also made culinary contributions to the wonderful world of tripe. For example, tripe and onions are a favorite combination in Great Britain. In Puerto Rico, mondongo soup is made with tripe, ham, pumpkin, and chickpeas in a tomato sauce base. Spain also boasts tripe and chickpeas with the addition of peppercorns, bacon and tomatoes. Pig, sheep, and goat stomachs have turned up in meals featuring tripe as well.

Nutritionally, tripe is high in protein and calcium, coming in at 23 calories per ounce. Even though it is low in fat, it tends to be high in cholesterol. Our four-legged friends of the canine world seem to like tripe more than we do. Another form, green tripe which is pure and unbleached, is used as food. As an enhancement to kibble and canned food, dogs benefit from the high protein, calcium, and potassium content. And, they really don’t mind the smell.