You know I love sharing my family favourites, right? Well, this is one that I only pull out once or twice a year. Not because it's terribly hard to make, it's just special, and the ingredients aren't always in front of me. And that is exactly what happened this week–I had an entirely different recipe ready to make for you, but then I found myself standing in Loblaws staring at a fresh row of tripe they had just added to the meat display. I grabbed the biggest package I could find and immediately changed my plans. I was finally going to share my version of Callos with you.
It didn't take me long to find the right chorizo, blood sausage, and some great crusty fresh bread, and a shop down on Dundas. I ripped back home and got to work. This was all while prepping for a huge Butcher Shoppe shoot (you can read about it here).
So, let's get into it. A little ambitious, definitely needs some time, but here is the BEST street-style Spanish stew you will ever try.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours
Serves: 6–8
Ingredients
2 lbs (1 kg) beef tripe, preferably honeycomb, cut into spoon-sized pieces
1 pig trotter, halved and split (ask your butcher)
2 yellow onions, halved
1 white onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
3 bay leaves
10–12 black peppercorns
2 L pork stock
Water
3 tbsp olive oil
170g serrano ham, chopped
250g Spanish chorizo
250g Spanish morcilla (blood sausage), sweet or hot
1–2 tbsp tomato paste
1-2 tbsp Spanish paprika
1 tbsp smoked paprika (optional)
1 (16 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Kosher salt (to taste)
Freshly cracked black pepper (optional)
Equipment
Large stock pot (for blanching and braising)
Heavy-bottomed sauté pan or large chicken fryer
Slotted spoon
Ladle
Method
Step 1: Prep the Tripe and Trotters
Rinse the tripe well under cold water, then cut into spoon-sized pieces.
Add the tripe and pig trotters to a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and let it roll for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse to remove any scum or impurities.
Step 2: Braise the Tripe and Trotters
Return the tripe and trotters to the pot. Add the yellow onions, bay leaves, and peppercorns.
Pour in the pork stock and top up with water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer.
Braise uncovered for 3 hours.
In the last 20 minutes of braising, add the whole blood sausages to the pot to gently firm them up. Remove and set aside to cool before slicing.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the tripe from the stock. Discard the bay leaves and peppercorns.
Remove the bones and skin from the trotters, scraping out any soft meat or fat if you want to include it (optional). Set aside.
Step 3: Prep the Stew
Chop the white onion, reserved garlic, and serrano ham.
In a large sauté pan or chicken fryer over medium-high heat, add olive oil and sauté until softened. Add freshly cracked pepper.
Add tomato paste and paprika. Stir and let it cook for 1–2 minutes until it darkens slightly. Add smoked paprika if using.
Slice the chorizo and blood sausage into thin discs. Add chorizo to the pan and sauté briefly. Add a ladle of braising stock to loosen the mixture.
Step 4: Add Tripe, Trotters, and Simmer
Add tripe, chickpeas, and optional trotter meat to the sauté pan. Stir to combine.
Salt the braising stock to taste—make sure it tastes like something you’d happily eat on its own. Then ladle it into the pan to just cover everything.
Gently fold in the sliced blood sausage. Bring to a simmer and let it cook gently for at least 20–30 minutes, or longer if you have time. The longer it goes, the better it gets.
Serve hot with crusty bread and a cold drink. It’s a dish that tastes even better the next day—so don’t be afraid to make it ahead.
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