Mondongo
Colombian tripe soup done the Antioquian way: tender tripe and pork simmered with hogao, yuca, potato and plenty of cilantro. Honest, hearty cooking.
- prep
- 30 min
- cook
- 2 h 30 min
- total
- 3 h
- serves
- 6
- level
- medium
Mondongo divides people until they taste a good one. Done right, the tripe is tender and mild, the broth is deep with hogao and cumin, and the whole thing is finished with so much cilantro it almost counts as a salad.
The work is in the cleaning and the long simmer. A pressure cooker cuts the tripe time from two hours to forty-five minutes, and Colombian cooks use one without apology.
Mondongo rounds out our list of the top 20 famous Colombian foods at number 10.
method
Scrub the tripe all over with the cut limes and coarse salt, then rinse thoroughly. Cover it with water in a pot, boil for 10 minutes, and discard that water.
Return the tripe to the pot with the pork and the 3 liters of fresh water. Simmer for about 2 hours (or 45 minutes in a pressure cooker) until completely tender. Lift out the meats, dice the tripe small, and keep the broth.
Make the hogao: cook the spring onions, tomatoes, garlic, cumin and sazón in a little oil until soft and jammy, about 10 minutes.
Combine the broth, diced tripe, pork and hogao. Add the yuca, potatoes and carrots and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the soup has thickened.
Add the peas for the last 5 minutes. Season with salt.
Serve hot, heavy on the cilantro, with rice, avocado and lime on the side.
chef's tips
- The lime scrub plus the discarded first boil is what gives you a clean-tasting mondongo. Do not skip either.
- A pressure cooker is the traditional shortcut here, not a cheat.
- The soup should be thick enough that a spoon stands up for a second. If it goes too far, loosen it with hot water.