Mondongo is one of one of the countries favorite dishes and my mother-in-law Marie Elena’s best recipes! She is a native of Antioquia and loves tripe soup. When my mother visits her, she always asks Marie Elena to prepare it for her. Mondongo is a tripe soup that eventhough it has chorizo an dpotatoes is hearty in ingredients but soft in flavor. I think this is one of the country's favorite dishes. Nowadays you find the tripe perfectly clean and ready-to-use in neat packages. There is a characteristic smell when preparing the tripe, it goes away as the first water is discarded.
Ingredientes:
- 2 pounds mondongo* or callos (tripe), cleaned and cut in 1-inch cubes
- Juice of one lime
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pound pork meat, cut in ½-inch dice
- 3 chorizos (page XXX), sliced ½ inch thick
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup minced green onions*
- 1 cup peeled, diced tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin*
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups peeled and diced yuca*, ¾-inch dice
- 2 cups diced potatoes, ¾-inch dice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons minced cilantro
- 4 tablespoons minced parsley
- Wash the tripe well with plenty of water. Remove any excess fat. Add the lime juice, rub it all over, let sit for 10 minutes, and wash again. Cook covered with water and the baking soda over medium heat, in a pressure cooker for 30 to 45 minutes, or in a regular pot for 1½ hours. Remove from the pot, drain, and discard the water.
- In a large stockpot, place the mondongo, pork, chorizo, onion, green onion, tomatoes, garlic, bouillon cubes, bay leaves, cumin*, 2 teaspoons of salt, and pepper. Cover with about 4 quarts of water and cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour.
- Add the yuca, potatoes, and ½ teaspoon of salt and simmer for about 20 minutes or until they have completely softened.
- Add the cilantro and parsley, taste for salt and serve.
