What is Tripe?
Tripe is the stomach tissue (also termed offal) of a number of animals, but the term is usually reserved to refer to the various stomach parts of oxen, cows or sheep. The tripe found most frequently in butcher's shops and in supermarkets is the beef tripe variety. This tripe is taken from the rumen, reticulum and omasum chambers of the cow’s stomach. Each of these chambers renders a different type of tripe, with that of the reticulum, which is rich in the popular honeycomb type tripe, the most prized and expensive of tripes. Tripe termed "green" is the unwashed tract of the animal’s stomach and is considered unsuitable for human consumption but has proved a favorite of the pet food industry. Its name, green tripe, comes from the fact that this part of the stomach still contains the undigested grass that ruminant consumed prior to slaughter and its stomach therefore retains much of the green chlorophyll coloring.
Tripe intended for human consumption is first washed and treated with lime. After this preparation, it is cut and sold according to the section of the stomach the part came from. Those cuts from the second chamber are considered the best parts owing to the meat’s tenderness and the subtlety of its flavors. Cuts taken from the first stomach are least esteemed among tripe eaters because it is un-textured and more bland than cuts from the other stomach chambers. The tripe known as pocket tripe is a cut from the end of the second stomach chamber. It shares the honeycomb texture of other second chamber offal, but because it comes from the end of the chamber it resembles a pocket. The tripe known as Abomasum or reed tripe is rarer than these other types because of its high glandular tissue content.
Tripe cooks and connoisseurs recommend that shoppers look for stomach cuts that are white or pale in color. These should then be refrigerated or pickled. There are a number of well-known world dishes that are tripe-based. Perhaps the most famous of these is the French dish known as tripes à la mode de Caen. The dish contains a cut of tripe that has been braised and served with onions, carrots and cider. Offal is a constituent of dishes not only in Europe but also in those commonly found in Asia, especially Yakiniku and Horumonyaki that are popular in Japan. A typical portion of offal is rich in a number of vitamins, including calcium, niacin, iron, zinc, and copper.
Written by CPW
