Dominican Mondongo (Tripe Stew)
I am so excited to share my mom’s Mondongo (stewed tripe) recipe with you! She is visiting us for a month and I shared with her the upcoming recipes I am shooting for my blog and YouTube channel. One of them was Mondongo, which is tripe in a soup like base, just not super soupy. I hope that helps explain it. In the video and images, you’ll be able to see the consistency.
She then insisted on making it with me. Eventually for me as she would not let help her cook it. She just wanted to make it herself. I Obliged and let the boss take over.
I was a bit annoyed but I realized that I love that we are creating these memories together. That she really wanted to cook it for you and for me and my blog. How could I say no? My mom is where I get my cooking skills from, my desire to make people happy through cooking great food.
What is Mondongo?
Mondongo is a hearty soup made from diced tripe (the stomach of a cow or pig) and slow-cooked. The dish is generally prepared in former Spanish colonies in Latin America, the Caribbean, and in the Philippines. It’s an extremely popular dish in the Dominican Republic where my parents are from.
What does Mondongo (stewed tripe) taste like?
It’s really hard to explain but for me it almost tastes like scallops that are chopped into small pieces. Once the tripe is diced and boiled until tender, it is so tasty that you don’t realize that it is what you are eating. It’s one of those dishes that you must try in order to understand how delicious it really is.
To me, it is a delicacy. Yes, that impressive. Trust me on that one.
What are the sides for Mondongo?
Growing up we had it with white rice, mangú (mashed green plantains) or boiled yuca. In the video attached, my mom and I went with boiled yuca. So good! But even alone as a soup, you are set!
Dominican Mondongo (Tripe Stew)
Ingredients
- 4 lbs tripe
To wash the tripe
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1/4 cup lemon or lime juice
To season tripe for boiling
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp salt
- 3 tbsp minced garlic
Mondongo seasoning after boiling (separate pot)
- 4 tbsp corn oil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp adobo
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/2 packet powdered chicken bouillon
- 1/4 cup chopped onions
- 1/2 cup chopped peppers, red, green, yellow mixture you can use one color only if wanted
- 3 tbsp bitter orange
- 1 – 1/2 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 2 tbs manzanilla or salad olives chopped
- 1 small bunch of cilantro tied together will be removed when done cooking
Instructions
Preparing and washing the tripe
- Cut tripe into small chunks. We prefer very small pieces and other people love the pieces larger. It's up to preference. Place the tripe in a large bowl as you chop it.
- Add salt and lime to the tripe and add water to the bowl. Make sure you massage the tripe well while in the water.
- Dump the tripe in a large colander to drain the water well.
- Add the tripe back into the bowl and rinse with water one more time and place the tripe back in the colander to drain and back into the bowl.
Seasoning the tripe for boiling
- Add the black pepper, salt and minced garlic to the tripe and stir in well.
- Place the tripe in a large pot and add water to cover the tripe all the way.
- Bring to a boil over high heat and then lower heat to medium low. Cook until the tripe is tender. This could be up to 3 hours. Ours took about 2 1/2 hours. The liquid should have evaporated a lot by then but it should not be dried out.
Mondongo seasoning (in another pot)
- Once tripe is tender, in a large deep skillet or pot, add corn oil over medium high heat.
- Add minced garlic, adobo, oregano, powdered chicken bouillon and chopped onions. Cook while stirring for about 2 minutes and onions begin to caramelize.
- Add the chopped peppers, bitter orange, tomato sauce, olives and cilantro. Stir well.
- Add the tripe to the seasoning with the liquid it is in. Stir well.
- Cook for about 15 minutes over medium heat to allow the flavors to seep into the tripe.
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