SERVES 6
Stewed tripe is one of the emblematic dishes of the central Spanish tablelands. Callos a la madrileña—eaten not just in Madrid, but similarly in Castilla, Extremadura, and elsewhere—usually include calf’s feet, a dozen lamb’s feet, and so on. This recipe, based on ones I have eaten along the northwest corner of Galicia, is simpler and includes garbanzo beans and chorizo.
Good butchers and Latino markets usually stock tripe, or they can get it with a day’s notice.
1. If using dried garbanzo beans, soak them overnight and boil following the directions on page 343. If using canned garbanzos, drain, rinse, and place the garbanzo beans in a saucepan with 3 cups/720 ml water. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, cover the pan, and leave them in the liquid until ready to use.
2. Rinse the tripe well under running water. Cut it into 1½>-inch-/4-cm-square pieces. Stud the peeled onion with the cloves. In a large pot, add the tripe and studded onion, a pinch of salt, and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and discard the water, onion, and cloves. Rinse and drain the tripe.
3. In a cazuela or heavy casserole, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and prepare a sofrito with the chopped onion, garlic, and tomatoes, following the directions on page 39. When the sofrito is ready, add the chorizo and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley, flour, cumin, and both types of pimentón.
4. Drain the beans, reserving about 3 cups/720 ml of the liquid.
5. Add the tripe, beans, and 2 cups/480 ml of the reserved liquid to the cazuela. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the flavors are blended. The sauce should be very loose and require a spoon to eat. Stir in a bit more of the reserved liquid if necessary. Serve in bowls.
