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Deep-fried tripe is a crunchy and delicious introduction to organ meats.
By
Chichi Wang
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Chichi Wang
Chichi Wang wrote a variety of columns for Serious Eats including The Butcher's Cuts, in addition to other stories. Born in Shanghai and raised in New Mexico, Chichi took her degree in philosophy but decided that writing about food would be more fun than writing about Plato.
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Updated March 26, 2019
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Why It Works
- Stewing the tripe before flouring and frying ensures it is tender.
- The large relative surface area of honeycomb tripe makes for an especially crispy result.
Take a look at the platter of tripe in the image below. It comes from a pot of menudo I had sitting in my fridge, though the pieces of simmered tripe could have just as easily been fished out of a batch of Trippa alla Romana, that soothing dish of tripe cooked in tomato sauce and wine, topped with plenty of cheese and leaves of mint. Or, the tripe could have been slowly stewed in a clay pot with a pig's foot, cannellini beans, and plenty of white wine.
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The point is, these are pieces of well-stewed tripe, which means that the tripe is tender with a rich taste and a chewy snap that tears easily with every bite.
Mix a bowl of tripe with some pasta, top with more tomato sauce and cheese, and that's a meal in itself. Simmered tripe is probably the way in which we most often enjoy tripe because its tough nature necessitates a low and slow cooking time. Hours have already been poured into its preparation, albeit ones in which your primary function is to tend to a simmering pot. So after the tripe is stewed, it tends to get eaten in a jiffy.
If you're looking for a change of pace, consider deep-frying the well-stewed tripe you have on hand. For an appetizer, take a few slices of tripe, dredge them in flour, salt, and cayenne pepper, and deep-fry the tripe for a minute or so in the hot oil. The slices of tripe will emerge transformed by the process: The honeycombed ridges and mop-like filaments will become paper-thin and crispy, forming a stiff armor around the interior of still-tender and chewy tripe.
Deep-frying tripe may also be one of the easier ways to introduce offal-squeamish eaters to the joys of stomach. Its winning crispiness not only creates textural pleasure but also disguises the looks of the honeycomb, which not everyone finds to be an asset.
Dipped in vinegar, deep-fried tripe makes for one addictive bar snack to be enjoyed straight out of the oil, eaten with fingers, and chased with a cold beer. I think there is a profound relationship between vinegar and oily fried things. You could get fancier and add finely sliced chile peppers, oil, and fish sauce or soy sauce to make a more balanced dipping sauce for the tripe. But I prefer my deep-fried tripe (and pig's ears too) with nothing more than a little dish of malt vinegar. It's more acerbic and a better foil, I think, to cut through the richness of deep-fried offal.
April 2011
Recipe Details
Deep-Fried Tripe Recipe
Active10 mins
Total20 mins
Serves4 servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper or paprika
1 pound stewed honeycomb tripe, cut into 1 inch slices lengthwise (see notes)
1 quart oil for deep-frying
Vinegar for dipping
Directions
Mix flour with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper or paprika.
Heat up oil in your wok to 375°F (190°C). Dredge tripe in flour and shake off excess flour. Slip pieces of tripe into hot oil. Do not crowd the tripe, deep-frying a few sections at a time until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer tripe to a plate lined with paper towels to drain off excess oil. Serve with your choice of vinegar for dipping.
Special Equipment
Wok, Dutch oven, or another deep pan suitable for deep-frying, instant-read thermometer
Notes
To prepare and stew tripe, follow my recipe for menudo rojo through step 3 (omit the lime, garlic, and oregano, if desired).
Read More
- Menudo Rojo, or Red-Chile Tripe Soup Recipe
- Trippa alla Romana (Braised Tripe With Tomato, Herb, and Parmesan) Recipe
- Stir-fried Tripe with Chili Bean Paste Recipe
- How to Deep-Fry at Home Without a Deep-Fryer
- Frying
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 292 | Calories |
| 23g | Fat |
| 7g | Carbs |
| 14g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
×
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 292 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 23g | 30% |
| Saturated Fat 3g | 14% |
| Cholesterol 178mg | 59% |
| Sodium 156mg | 7% |
| Total Carbohydrate 7g | 2% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 1% |
| Total Sugars 0g | |
| Protein 14g | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
| Calcium 93mg | 7% |
| Iron 1mg | 6% |
| Potassium 55mg | 1% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
