Last weekend I spent a fascinating lesson – preparing a beef tripe – and now I want to share my invaluable experience with you. The scar, as the first section of the stomach is also called, has never suffered from lack of attention: it is prepared with equal pleasure from Poland to Vietnam, although for us, city dwellers, the scar, like all offal, may be unusual.
In fact, such an arrogant attitude towards offal is a much bigger problem than one might imagine at first. The cow weighs about half a ton, and there is only one tenderloin in this huge carcass. I am deeply convinced that the person who took the life of this beautiful animal is obliged to use the carcass to the maximum – and there is no more reasonable way to do this than at least occasionally replacing meat in his diet with offal. Believe me, this is much more ethical in relation to animals than a complete rejection of meat. In addition, by-products are mostly low in fat and are an excellent source of protein, vitamins and minerals, many of which are rarely found in regular meat.
In fact, such an arrogant attitude towards offal is a much bigger problem than one might imagine at first. The cow weighs about half a ton, and there is only one tenderloin in this huge carcass. I am deeply convinced that the person who took the life of this beautiful animal is obliged to use the carcass to the maximum – and there is no more reasonable way to do this than at least occasionally replacing meat in his diet with offal.
Believe me, this is much more ethical in relation to animals than a complete rejection of meat. In addition, by-products are mostly low in fat and are an excellent source of protein, vitamins and minerals, many of which are rarely found in regular meat.
Clean
Pour boiling water over the tripe and leave for ten minutes. Then thoroughly rinse the scar under running water and scrape it out with a brush or knife, removing small particles of dirt that can easily get stuck in the fluffy part of the scar. If you get such dirt that it is not possible to scrape it off, it is worth trying to carefully remove the top layer – the scar has a layered structure, it is elastic and you can not be afraid to break it with this treatment. Also, depending on which dish you are going to use the scar in, you can remove the fleecy layer of the scar, although this is not necessary.
Getting rid of the smell
As you probably saw in the first stage, the scar has a rather distinct and very unpleasant odor. Unbelievable, but true – you can cook delicious dishes from this offal, but first you still need to get rid of the smell. Someone advises soaking the scar in a vinegar solution for a long time, but digestion of the smell is more efficient and will take less time.
Cut the scar into palm-sized pieces, cover with water, put on high heat, bring the water to a boil and let it simmer for a short time, no more than ten minutes, then drain the water. Re-fill the scar, return to the fire and repeat these manipulations until the smell disappears completely. In my case, this required 5 brews, after which you can ventilate the kitchen and no longer worry about anything.
Varim
The last step in scar preparation is patient cooking, which will allow the elastic scar to soften completely. Fill the tripe with water again, this time add seasonings and roots – bay leaves, allspice, onions, carrots, celery, in a word, everything that you usually use when preparing broth – bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat and leave the pan to simmer on the stove.
For a long time, about four hours, if necessary, replenishing the boiled water with boiling water. When the scar is softened enough that it can be easily pierced with a fork, remove it from the broth and cut it into slices the size of a little finger. Boil the chopped tripe for about half an hour: it turned out to be soft, with a slight aroma of roots, and you can use it right away, put it in the refrigerator or freeze it until it occurs to you to cook something tasty.