Often, many people use only salt and vinegar to clean tripe. However, chefs suggest that for a truly thorough clean, an additional ingredient is necessary.
Essential Ingredients for Cleaning Aged Tripe
– Salt: acts as a deodorizer and disinfectant.
– Flour: absorbs fat and impurities inside the tripe.
Steps to Clean Aged Tripe
Rubbing with Salt and Flour:
Place the aged tripe in a basin, add a little salt and flour, then gently massage it. Avoid applying too much force to prevent the tripe from tearing.
Turning Inside Out to Wash:
This side harbors more impurities, so it requires thorough cleaning. Massage and rub both sides for about 2–3 minutes each. Avoid overdoing it, as salt can dehydrate the tripe, making it dry and tough.
Rinsing Thoroughly Multiple Times:
After massaging, rinse the aged tripe under running water multiple times to ensure it’s completely clean both inside and out.
At this point, many assume the tripe is fully clean, but the distinct pungent odor of aged tripe persists. Chefs recommend an additional crucial step.
Final Treatment Step
Place the cleaned tripe in a pot, add enough water, one tablespoon of salt, and one tablespoon of white wine. Bring it to a simmer until the tripe firms up and turns white. Optionally, add a dash of oyster sauce for better odor removal. Note that simmering should only take a few minutes; longer cooking will make the tripe tough.
Once done, the aged tripe is completely deodorized and clean, ready for your favorite dishes like stir-fries, grills, or boils.
Here are some suggested dishes using aged pork tripe for you to try:
1. SPICY STIR-FRIED AGED TRIPE
Ingredients
– Aged tripe: 1 segment.
– Onion: 1 bulb.
– Green chili peppers (long type): 4 pieces.
– Minced red chili: 2 tablespoons.
– Cooking wine: 2 tablespoons.
– Cooking oil: 2 tablespoons.
– Sugar: 2 tablespoons.
– Vinegar: a little.
– Soy sauce: 1 tablespoon.
– Spicy seasoning powder: 1 tablespoon.
Instructions:
– Prepare the aged tripe using the above method.
– Prepare vegetables: Peel off a few outer layers of the onion, keep the small inner core, then slice it to prevent it from falling apart during stir-frying. Cut green chili peppers diagonally.
– Slice ginger into strips, cut scallions into sections, keeping the green parts separate for later.
– Heat the pan, add ginger and scallions to stir-fry until fragrant.
Add green chili peppers, followed by the aged tripe. Season sequentially with sugar, soy sauce, minced red chili, onion, cooking wine, vinegar, and spicy powder. Finally, add the green scallion parts. Stir a few times after each ingredient. Note: Add onions last to retain their crispness and appearance. For extra heat, add dried chili peppers. The result is aromatic, mildly spicy, and refreshing, unlike the typical greasy aged tripe dishes.
SPICY BRAISED AGED TRIPE
Ingredients
– Aged tripe: 250g
– Onion: 1 bulb
– Ginger: 6 slices
– Garlic: 2 cloves – Soy sauce: 3 tablespoons – Sugar: a little
– Salt: a little
– Cooking wine: 2 tablespoons
– Green chili peppers (long type): as needed
Instructions
Clean the aged tripe, then cut it into bite-sized pieces. Slice the onion, ginger, and mince the garlic.
Heat oil in a pan, add ginger slices and minced garlic, and sauté on low heat until fragrant.
Add the cleaned aged tripe and stir-fry.
Add a little soy sauce for color. Add onions, a bit of water, and stir until the onions turn translucent and tender. Before turning off the heat, add a few green chili pepper slices to remove odors and enhance the spicy flavor.
Serve the dish, which is both visually appealing and enticing.
The New Delicacy Craze: City Folk ‘Hunting’ for Unique Homegrown Delights
Once forgotten, this humble dish has now become a sought-after “rarity” thanks to its unique flavor and the intriguing story behind it. Don’t miss the opportunity to discover this exotic delicacy!
