Tripe is controversial. Let’s face it, there’s no hiding the fact that it’s one of the four stomachs found in a cow. And stinks.
Its strange looks, pale color and texture aren’t for everyone. Basically, it’s ugly to say the least. And many of us will have been scarred by poorly prepared tripe from our distant youth.
The Abomasum or Reed tripe is rarely eaten as it contains a lot of glandular material. But the smooth and flat Rumen tripe, the honeycombed Reticulum and the spiny looking Omasum tripe are all perfect for eating – if you are into that kind of thing.
Tripe is low in protein: about 15 per cent compared to 24 to 36 per cent in standard cuts; low in fat: about 4 per cent compare to 5 to 20 per cent; and low in chloresterol.
Bought washed and bleached from the butchers, it is at its least offensive in flavour. But real afficiandos prefer it fresh from the beast, untampered with coming with a rich and unmistakable offal aroma.
If faced with fresh unprocessed tripe, clean thoroughly and trim. Then blanche and skim the surface to remove contaminants and strong odors.
Chefs now are taking this humble, working class ingredient and elevating it to the top table.
Tripe is something that Scott Pickett, chef at The Point in Melbourne’s Albert Park loves to cook although he admits he doesn’t get to often enough.
Some recipes specify which type of tripe to use but this one uses more than one type. Pickett says the beautiful thing about this dish is that it’s simple yet is aromatic from the herbs with deep savoury flavours from the sherry vinegar, olives, saffron and tomatoes.
He says the jelly from the calves’ feet and smokiness from the pancetta really make this dish a winner.
Slow cooked tripe with olives, ox heart tomatoes and preserved lemon
Enjoy with crusty bread and a hearty red wine.
Volker Koepke, the chef at Radisson Resort Gold Coast, is fanatical about his cheaper cuts of meat. He says that dining is about trying new tastes and moving out of the comfort zone. Hence he loves younger form of cow as calf as the basis of many recipes using sweetbreads, liver and kidneys, udder, lung and braised calf’s head. Here he deals with tripe.