CUBAN TRIPE STEW/PATA Y PANZA ESTILO CUBANO

Steps:

• 1. The night before if adding garbanzo beans rinse and soak overnight in cold water. Next day drain and put aside to cook with the tripe. Next cut out any fatty deposits the tripe may have on the underside. make sure your tripe is cleaned and it should be nice and white. Cut into small bite sized pieces, soak in some salt water over night next to the garbanzo beans. Next morning drain and rinse and set aside. If using pigs feet they should be rinsed and cut in halves. Set aside. Next make a nice large sofrito, in a large deep heavy pot add the olive oil, heat until shimmering then add diced onions, fresh garlic, green peppers, diced parsley, diced cilantro, raisins, the (2) two ounces of the white wine, all of the olives, bay leaves, oregano, cumin, salt, black pepper, vinegar, sazon seasoning, paprika, and the tomato sauce. Over a medium flame or heat saute all of these making a lovely fragarant sofrito.
• 2. Next add the the rest of the wine, beer, and water, mix well add the cut tripe pieces, garbanzo beans and the pigs feet, optional if your are not adding the pigs feet proceed with just the garbanzo beans and the tripe. Mix well cover with a tight lid and on a medium low flame or heat simmer for four hours. I usually make in my pressure cooker and pressurize for 1 hour. After one hour has passed with the pressure cooker I turn off the heat and let the steam escape. Open pot and add the quartered potatoes, cover and pressurize another 15 minutes. Then let steam escape and serve on top of white rice. If making by the traditional way cooking on top of the stove I check every hour to make sure my stew does not dry up. If the water goes down I add more wine or water and continue to cook on a low flame until the tripe and garbazos are almost fork tender. I then add the quartered potatoes, I mix them well in the sauce, cover and continue to cook for another hour until they are fork tender.
• 3. By the time the potatoes are done the stew should be a little thick. if it is still watery, remove some of the liquid from the pot about a half cup add about 2 tablespoons of corn starch to a half cup of cold water or beer and mix well with a fork add to the hot liquid in the cup and mix well again and then add to the pot, mix gently so as not to break up the potaotes. Simmer on low for 10 minutes until the stew liquid has thickened. Serve on top of white rice and a nice crispy salad. Pass the crusty Cuban bread to sop up all the juices. Enjoy.
• 4. I will post my picture this weeekend. Note: Tripe stew is a favorite in Puerto Rico as well as in Cuba, in Puerto Rico it is referred to as Mondongo, and to this recipe they add one other ingredient which are Capers added when the olives are added. The proceedure is very similar to my way of making this recipe. The Cuban's call the tripe Panza, meaning stomach. The Mexicans call tripe menudo and it is made an entirely different way. Will post the Mexican recipe soon. Buen appetito