How to Prepare and Cook Beef Tripe

Beef tripe is the stomach lining of a cow. Honeycomb tripe, also called blanket tripe, comes from the second stomach chamber. It has a honeycomb-patterned surface. It’s the most sought-after type of tripe because its surface can absorb more of the broth or sauce used to cook it, along with their flavors.

Tripe has a mild beefy flavor and delicate texture when it’s simmered until soft. When cooked low and slow in a flavorful sauce, the meat will absorb the flavors of the sauce and become even more delicious.

In Hispanic cuisine, beef tripe is used to make Menudo. Latin American cuisine uses the meat, especially honeycomb tripe, with many flavor variations across different parts of Mexico. One famous beef tripe recipe is Menudo Rojo – a tripe stew made by simmering the meat in a vibrant red chile sauce with hominy.

Other recipes are Menudo Blanco made with tripe, garlic, onions, and aromatic Menudo seasonings, and Menudo Verde—tripe simmered with green chiles, tomatillos, and cilantro for bold flavors. In Latin America, the Caribbean, and South America, beef tripe stew is called Sopa de Mondongo. The recipe requires slow simmering tripe with vegetables like sweet potatoes and pumpkin in a thick stew.

The taste and texture of beef tripe will depend greatly on how you cook it. The meat will have a mild beefy yet hearty flavor if you simmer it simply with broth.

The cooking method and temperature will determine how long the tripe needs to cook to become tender.

If you use an instant pot on the normal stew or soup setting, tripe can become tender within an hour. On a stovetop set to medium heat, tripe may need up to two hours to become tender.

Here are the best tips on how to prepare tripe at home to create a delicious dish:

Clean your tripe properly before cooking it by rinsing it in fresh running water, being sure to keep fresh ingredients separate from raw ingredients.

Cut your tripe into bite-size strips or squares with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors for easier eating. You can use your pieces of tripe in various Hispanic recipes, such as tripe stew, Menudo, and Mondongo. Some recipes, such as recipes for fried tripe, require slow cooking of the meat before cutting it into strips.

Make tripe stew by placing your cleaned pieces of tripe in a heavy pot filled with water. Cook the tripe until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, then put the cooked tripe pieces in a different pot with your stew ingredients.

Simmer for 20 minutes so that the meat can absorb the stew flavors. You can make the same recipe in a slow cooker or pressure cooker and keep the process simple by using a prepared Menudo spice mix seasoning blend. Click here for a full Tripe Stew recipe.

Besides traditional Menudo and Mondongo, there are several modern Hispanic recipes that use tripe. For instance, fried tripe can be used as a crispy topping for salads, and you can fill tacos and quesadillas with tender and flavorful tripe. These recipes require simmering tripe in water or stock for several hours to tenderize and flavor the meat. Once the meat is tender, you can use it in your recipe. Check out modern Hispanic tripe recipes here.

Make tripe quesadilla filling by sautéing your cooked and tender tripe pieces with garlic, onions, tomatoes, and spices. Fill a tortilla with your sautéed tripe and veggies, add your shredded cheese, fold the tortilla, then griddle it until golden and the cheese melts.

Beef tripe is a tender and delicious meat when cooked correctly. With these tips, you should have an easy time making your favorite tripe recipes at home. Click here to find where to buy beef tripe, so you can start cooking!