So, I’ve always been a huge fan of dim sum. I mean, who isn’t? But there’s one dish that I’ve always been a little intimidated to make at home: beef tripe. It just seemed so…complicated. But, I finally decided to give it a go, and let me tell you, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I did some research and the tripe needs to be simmered for a while to make it tender.
First thing’s first, I got myself some beef tripe. I rinsed it under cold water for a good few minutes, just like the recipe said. Next, I threw the tripe into a big pot and filled it with chicken stock, water, some sliced ginger, scallion stalks, a garlic clove, a bit of sesame oil, and a splash of rice wine. Basically, I followed the recipe to a tee.
Then came the waiting game. I brought the whole thing to a boil and then lowered the heat to let it simmer. The recipe said about an hour, but I think I left it in for a bit longer because I wanted it super tender. And I used a normal pot. I’ve heard you can use a pressure cooker, but I don’t have one of those fancy things.
- Rinse the tripe under cold water.
- Put tripe in a pot with:
- Chicken stock
- Water
- Ginger
- Scallions
- Garlic
- Sesame oil
- Rice wine
- Simmer for at least an hour.
While it was simmering, I whipped up a quick marinade. I had this Teochew master stock recipe lying around, and I figured it would be perfect. A little bit of soy sauce, some spices, you know, the usual. After the tripe was done simmering, I took it out and sliced it up, and I could feel it was already much more tender than it was before.
I tossed the sliced tripe in the marinade and let it sit for a while. The longer, the better, I always say. I think I left it for a good couple of hours, just to let those flavors really soak in. While I was waiting for that, I got my steamer ready. I mean, it’s dim sum, right? You gotta steam it.
Steaming Time!
Once the tripe was nice and marinated, I arranged it in a dish and popped it into the steamer. I steamed it for a few minutes, just until it was heated through and the sauce had thickened up a bit. And that was it! I took it out, garnished it with a little chopped scallion, and dug in.
Honestly, it was pretty darn good. The tripe was tender, the sauce was flavorful, and it tasted just like the dim sum I get at my favorite restaurant. I was pretty proud of myself, not gonna lie. It’s definitely something I’ll be making again. Maybe next time I’ll try adding some different spices or maybe even some veggies. The possibilities are endless!