Tripas, in Mexican cuisine (known as chitterlings in English-speaking countries), is the stomach lining of farm animals that have been cleaned, boiled and grilled.
Preparation
Tripas as prepared Mexican style require care by the cook, to avoid becoming rubbery.
They are traditionally cooked in a "
Disco" which is constructed of two
Disc harrow (commonly used in the farming industry) welded to an iron pole in the center of the discs to form a
wok like bowl on top of the pole with another disc about below it. The
tripas are placed in the top disc and filled with water while the lower disc is filled with wood or charcoal, thus creating the heat to cook. The
tripas are boiled for several hours until tender, adding water as needed. Once they are tender the cook will allow the water to boil off and then finish the preparation by continuing to let them cook in their own fat.
Tripas are prepared in three levels:
-
'Soft' preparation is attained shortly after the water boils off while the tripas are still tender with a velvet like texture. Properly prepared, they should not be rubbery but should have some firmness to them.
-
'Medium Crispy' is reached by allowing the tripas to continue to cook in their own fat long enough for the exterior to crisp and harden. The center of the tripas are usually still soft and velvety.
-
'Extra Crispy' preparation is reached by allowing the tripas to cook long enough to get crispy all the way through. Sometimes lard is added to the disco to reach this level of crispness but the true "Cocineros" (Mexican chefs) contend that it is best done using their own fat.
Portuguese tripas
Tripas or
dobrada in Portuguese cuisine is beef stomach, and in the form of
tripas à moda do Porto (
Porto style, with
white beans, rice and carrots) is considered the traditional dish of the city of
Porto, whose inhabitants are informally known as
tripeiros
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See also
