by Leilehua Yuen

I love tripe stew! My Stepmom, Sylvia, made awesome tripe stew which I always considered THE best. Then , when I married, my husband informed me that HIS mother’s was THE best. They both are excellent.

We also used to really enjoy the tripe stew that Ken’s House of Pancakes used to make back in the early 2000s.

My husband, Manu, and I met through motorcycles. I didn’t have a car at the time, and he preferred his bike to a car, so we both were daily riders. Commuting Hilo to Kona, plus just going holoholo, I was putting almost 1,000 miles per week on my little Honda Nighthawk.

Well, one time Manu and I had ridden up Mauna Kea. I was giving cultural programs at the Visitor Information Station. On the way back down the mountain, it was pouring! We were soaked! When he pulled up next to me at the stoplight at the bottom of Saddle Road, the Waiānuenue intersection by the gas station (this was before the realignment), we looked at each other, simultaneously said “Ken’s, tripe stew.” The light changed and we were off.

Much of our courtship was at Ken’s, and the staff always welcomed us, casting a proprietary eye on our doings. The security guard saw us coming, moved the traffic cones, and waved us in to “our” spot. We got off our bikes, shook off as much wet as we could, and headed in. They saw us coming and brought a pot of coffee to the table. “And what would you like, my dahlings?” “Tripe Stew!”

Circumstances will never again be such as to create the exact ambiance that made that night’s stew so exceptionally delicious. But I hope this version will be enjoyable in its own way.

Tripe Stew

Ingredients

• 2 lbs tripe
• 2 lbs soup bone (to make stock)
• 2 round onions
• 3 carrots
• 3 stalks celery
• 1 green bell pepper
• 3 medium potatoes
• 1 bulb garlic
• 1 15oz can tomato sauce
• 1 6oz can tomato paste

Seasonings
If using fresh seasonings, adjust quantity accordingly.

• 3 small bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoons dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika powder
• 1 teaspoon ʻōlena (turmeric) powder
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley

The day before, start your soup bones cooking and make a nice rich beef broth. If you do not want to make your own broth, you can buy it in cans, jars, powder, or cubes. But I like home-made best. The easiest way to make the broth is to put the bones in a slow cooker, put in an onion and a couple of bay leaves, set the lid on it, turn to high, and leave it to cook overnight.

The next day: Rinse the tripe well in cold water. Cut it into bite-sized pieces. Place in a pot and cover with water, then set on the heat. Bring it to a boil and then simmer until just tender. I find it takes at least an hour, preferably two. As the smell of tripe can be strong, I like to put it in the slow cooker and set it outside on the lānai to cook so the house does not smell like tripe for days! In the slow cooker, I usually start timing while it is still cold, and plan for two-three hours.

While the tripe is cooking, I cut up the vegetables, more or less in bite-sized pieces. Crush or mince the garlic and add it to the vegetables. Using the fat rendered while cooking the broth, in a heavy pot cook the vegetables until just tender. Turn off the heat and set them set.

Strain the beef broth you made last night from the soup bones. Remove the bones and put the shredded meat back into the broth. Let it cool and skim the fat off.

When the tripe is just tender, pour it into a colander to drain, then rinse well with cool water. Place it back in a large pot and add enough of the broth to cover. Add the tomato sauce and paste. You can also add fresh tomatoes!

Let the tripe simmer until it is fully tender, probably another hour or so, and then add the vegetables. Cook until everything is as tender as you would like.

Serve with rice and chili pepper water.