The market · Meat

Tripe

The stomach lining of cattle, sold cleaned and blanched. Mild and chewy, it absorbs whatever it's cooked in — callos, tripes à la mode de Caen, Beijing baodu.

mild · chewy · absorbent

What to do with it

Classics built on it
BeijingBaoduBeef or lamb tripe cut into strips, dipped in boiling water for a few seconds until just crisp, and eaten with a sesame-paste sauce.No one here has made it yetCastilian and MadridCallos a la madrileñaBeef tripe stewed slowly with chorizo, morcilla and jamón in a thick, sticky, pimentón-red sauce.No one here has made it yetLyonnaisTablier de sapeurSquares of ox tripe marinated in white wine and mustard, breadcrumbed and fried, served with a sauce gribiche.No one here has made it yetNormanTripes à la mode de CaenBeef tripe and ox foot cooked for many hours in cider and Calvados with onions, carrots and leeks, in a sealed earthenware pot.No one here has made it yet

Kinds

Honeycomb
The most tender and the most common.
Blanket (smooth)
Firmer, for long braises.
Book (leaf)
Thin layers; quick-blanched in Chinese cooking.

Goes with

tomatochickpeacidergarlic

Knowing it

Where to buy
Butchers and Chinese supermarkets, already dressed.
Worth knowing
Blanch it in fresh water before braising, and cook it low and long until it yields to a spoon.

Kitchens that keep it in

Lyon and its hinterland — the Rhône and Saône valleys, from Bresse to the DauphinéLyonnaisA city's cooking, rich and unfussy: pork and offal in the bouchons, cream and butter from Bresse, fish from the rivers, and the wines of the Beaujolais to wash it down.9 classics

More meat

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