Mondongo Boricua [Old School Beef Tripes Puerto Rican Soup]

beef tripe

🥗Healthier: chicken breast

💰Cheaper: pork belly

Chicken breast is leaner and less expensive than beef tripe.

chorizo

🥗Healthier: turkey sausage

💰Cheaper: smoked sausage

Turkey sausage is lower in fat than chorizo.

Soak the beef tripe in cold water with 4 cups of vinegar for a few hours to minimize the smell.

Rinse the tripe thoroughly to remove the vinegar smell.

Squeeze the juice of one large lime over the tripe and let it sit for half an hour.

Boil a large pot of water and add the tripe, cooking for about 2 hours until softened, ensuring enough water is present to avoid evaporation.

Prepare the ingredients: chop half of a red bell pepper, half of a green bell pepper, and half of a large yellow onion; smash and chop 5 garlic cloves; gather cilantro and bay leaves.

Cut the lamb neck into chunks and season with salt.

Heat about 1 tablespoon of anato oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

Brown the lamb chunks in the pot for about 1 minute, then move them aside.

Add the chopped onion, garlic, and bell peppers to the pot, cooking until fragrant.

Add the grated tomato and optional chickpeas, mixing for about 30 seconds.

Add the boiled tripe and any other vegetables like potatoes, pumpkin, yuca, malanga, corn, and carrots to the pot.

Pour in about 5 cups of water to cover the ingredients, then add the sofrito and seasonings: turmeric, anato, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, coriander, oregano, and salt to taste.

Add 1 or 2 bay leaves and optional olives, then cover and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, checking for doneness by pinching the potatoes and carrots until soft.

In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add chopped cilantro for flavor.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: