Polar Bear posted 03-03-99 10:08 AM
Tripe with Tongue and Mushrooms
The smoked tongue may be replaced with a fresh or brined one
2 lb. honeycomb tripe
2 Tbl. peanut oil
8 clove garlic
2 large onions
2 large carrots (divided)
2 stalks celery (divided)
2 lb. mushrooms (divided)
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
2 cups dry white wine
2 lb. smoked tongue
1 Tbl. crushed red chiles (or plain red chile sauce)
1 large bay leaf
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. each: black pepper; thyme; coriander; marjoram
1 cup rice (raw)
Cut tripe in 1/2 by 1-1/2 inch dice; add to boiling water, simmer 10 minutes, drain and rinse. Mince garlic and chop onions, 1 carrot, 1 stalk celery and half the mushrooms; saute in oil until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Add tomatoes, wine, tongue, seasonings and tripe. Simmer covered until meats are tender but still have a little bite, 3 to 4 hours (or more, it depends how much the tripe was parboiled by the meat packer). Remove tongue, if necessary, while tripe finishes cooking.
Quarter remaining carrot and halve remaining celery; slice both 1/4 inch thick; halve mushrooms and cut 1/4 inch thick. Add to pot and simmer 1 hour.
Remove tongue and let cool. Meanwhile, stir rice into pot and simmer covered until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Skin and trim tongue; cut in 1/4 by 1 inch julienne and stir into pot; heat through but do not boil.
Slow Cooker: Combine ingredients per Step 2 in a large (preferably 4 qt) cooker, except reduce wine to 1 cup Simmer 12 to 16 hours; the tongue should only be cooked about 8 hours at this stage, so either add to pot later or remove early. Add remaining ingredients per Step 3; simmer 2 hours. Turn heat to high; add rice and tongue; simmer until tender, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Variation: A hearty smoked sausage (1 lb), e.g., andouille or spanish chorizo, may be substituted for the tongue. Add with second batch of vegetables in Step 3; remove after 1 hour, halve lengthwise, slice 1/4 inch thick and return to pot with the rice.
Tripe with Beef Backribs:
1-1/2 lb. honeycomb beef tripe
2-1/2 lb. beef backribs (meaty ends only) (or 4 lb whole, sawed in half)
2 medium onions
4 clove garlic
3 Tbl. peanut oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 batch sauce (below)
Cut tripe in 1/4 by 3/4 inch pieces; cover with hot tap water and let stand 15 minutes; rinse with cold water and drain well. Cut backribs into individual pieces. Quarter onions and slice thinly. Mince garlic.
Saute backribs in oil until brown on all sides; remove to a plate. Saute onions in pan until golden brown, about 20 minutes, adding garlic for last 3 minutes. Deglaze pan with liquid for sauce as specified below.
Add tripe, backribs (including any juices on plate) and seasonings (including those from below). Bring just to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until meats are tender but still have a little bite, 3 to 4 hours (or more, it depends how much the tripe was parboiled by the meat packer).
Remove backribs to a plate and let cool; debone and discard fat; cut meat in rough 1/2 inch dice. Strain and degrease pan juices; simmer uncovered until reduced to 1-1/2 c. Add remaining sauce ingredients, beef and tripe. Heat through but don't boil.
Serve over potato-vegetable puree, dumplings, spaetzle or rice. Or, prepare 2/3's batch (1 lb tripe, etc.) omitting thickening step (if applicable); toss with 1 lb pasta cooked just barely al dente in salted boiling water; cook covered over medium-low heat until pasta is fully tender, about 10 minutes.
Slow Cooker: Combine ingredients per Step 3 in medium (preferably 3-1/2 qt) cooker, eliminating water where feasible, e.g., substitute 3 T tomato paste for crushed tomatoes in Italian Ragu sauce. Simmer 12 to 16 hours.
Variation: Beef shanks, oxtails, meaty bone trimmings, etc. may be substituted for the backribs. As may any bony cuts or meaty trimmings of pork, lamb, veal, etc.
Sauces:
Beer, Stout or Ale: Deglaze pan in Step 2 with 1-1/2 cup dark beer, stout, pale ale, etc. Gradually stir degreased and reduced stock in Step 4 into 2 Tbl. flour (preferably Wondra); simmer until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in 2 Tbl. chopped fresh parsley with meat. If desired, also stir in 2 Tbl. each vinegar and sugar.
Caribbean: Add 3 medium habanero chiles (seeded and finely chopped) with the garlic in Step 2; deglaze with 1/2 cup water. Add 1 tsp. allspice, 1/2 tsp. ground ginger and 1/4 tsp. each nutmeg and mace in Step 3. Roast 1 large red bell pepper per Chiles - Roasted; peel, seed and chop coarsely. Add roasted pepper, 2 Tbl. chopped fresh cilantro, 1 Tbl. lime (or lemon juice) with meat at end of Step 4. If desired, also stir in 1 to 2 Tbl. Inner Beauty or other habanero chile sauce.
Italian Ragu: Saute 1 medium carrot (quart-ered and sliced 1/4 inch thick) and 1 stalk celery (cut in thirds lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick) with the onion. Deglaze pan with 1/2 cup dry red (or white) wine. Add 16 oz. crushed tomatoes with the seasonings in Step 3. Add 2 Tbl. chopped fresh parsley with meat at end of Step 4.
Mexican: Add 4 Tbl. pulverized dried chiles (ancho, pasilla, new mexico, etc.) with the garlic in Step 2; deglaze pan with 1/2 cup water. Add 8 oz. crushed tomatoes and 1/2 tsp each cumin and oregano with seasonings in Step 3. Stir in 2 Tbl. chopped fresh cilantro with meat in Step 4.
Southeast Asian: Deglaze pan with 1/2 cup water. Add 1 cup thick Coconut Milk (undiluted, if canned), 2 Tbl. thai curry paste or 2 tsp. sambel ulek, sriracha or other plain red chile sauce, 2 Tbl. each nam pla (fish sauce), Tamarind Infusion and brown sugar with seasonings in Step 3. Add 2 Tbl. chopped fresh cilantro with meat at end of Step 4.