How to Cook Tripe

Tripe has become a delicacy in many countries. The four main types of tripe--the muscular stomach lining from a cow--include the fat from the first stomach and the three honeycombed sections from the second stomach. Tripe is an acquired taste and the preparation is an involved process. Learn to cook tripe using easy and safe methods.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Find fresh tripe or purchase packaged tripe from the grocery store. Cooking fresh tripe is more involved. Packaged tripe has usually been cooked for a bit to soften it up for preparing.
2. Choose a thick cut of tripe if buying raw. The muscular stomach tissue should be white in color.
3. Wash the tripe multiple times to rid it of particles of food or other pieces of matter. It may take three to four vigorous washings before the tripe is ready to be cooked.
4. Boil the tripe for at least four to five hours in a stock pot of water. Tripe is a notoriously tough food. The longer you boil it, the more tender it becomes.
5. Cut the tender, boiled tripe into pieces. Saute the pieces in butter; add seasonings and sauce and simmer for at least one hour.

Tips & Warnings

• Green tripe refers to the color of the tripe--caused by the grass the cow ate--and also the fact that it has not been cleaned like tripe in a grocery store. Green tripe is a popular food used by dog breeders.
• Tripe comes from other animals besides the cow, although cow is the most popular. Goat, buffalo and deer tripe are also eaten.
• Avoid raw tripe that is too white. If it is extremely white, it could have been bleached.
• People with gout or other digestive problems should avoid tripe as it is tough to digest.