Pacal Porkolt (Tripe stew with brains or marrow)

To prepare a delicious tripe soup, the first step is to take care of the beef tripe. It should be washed well and boiled in a large pot, along with water, vinegar, salt, whole pepper, and 6-7 cloves of garlic. It is important that, after the water starts boiling, we let the tripe boil for about 20 minutes. This step helps to remove impurities and achieve a finer texture. After 20 minutes, we will discard the water and wash the tripe under a stream of cold water to ensure we eliminate any residue.

The next step is to repeat the boiling process, this time letting the tripe boil until it becomes soft and easy to cut. Once the tripe is ready, we take it out of the pot, let it cool slightly, and then cut it into thin strips, thus preparing the main ingredient of the soup.

In a large skillet, we will chop the onion and bell peppers into cubes and sauté them in a generous amount of oil or lard. This combination of vegetables will add a special flavor to the soup. Once the onion becomes translucent and the peppers release their aroma, we will add the strips of tripe, followed by sliced or cubed tomatoes. These will contribute to a fresh and delicious taste of the soup.

After adding salt, pepper, gulyas cream, ketchup, and hot peppers, we mix everything well to ensure that the flavors blend harmoniously. It is time to add enough water to cover the ingredients and also add the sliced garlic along with the chopped parsley. We let everything boil until the liquid reduces by about an inch, thus concentrating the flavors and enriching the texture.

When the sauce starts to reduce, we will introduce the brains, gently stirring to incorporate them. We should not worry if they crumble, as this will help create a richer taste. We add 2 tablespoons of vinegar (or 1 tablespoon, depending on preferences) and sugar, to achieve that perfect balance between sweet and sour. It is essential to taste the soup and adjust the seasonings according to our preferences, ensuring we maintain the spicy note provided by the hot peppers. We let it boil further until the sauce thickens, and the flavors mix perfectly, resulting in a tripe soup that will delight any gourmet. Finally, we serve the soup hot, sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley, alongside sour cream and hot pepper, for an extra flavor boost.

 Ingredients: boiled and sliced belly 3-4 medium-sized red onions (but white ones can also be used) 1-2 bell peppers or pepper paste as I used goulash cream (if you don't have it, replace it with paprika) 2-3 peeled tomatoes 1 tablespoon of fresh sliced hot peppers or from a jar a bit of chopped green parsley 3 cloves of garlic 4 tablespoons of sweet ketchup 2 tablespoons of vinegar 3 tablespoons of sugar salt and pepper to taste pig brain 300-400 gr. oil or lard (2 tablespoons)

 Tags:  onion greenery meat garlic tomatoes soup pepper oil pig sugar stew gluten-free recipes lactose-free recipes