Braised Beef Honeycomb Tripe and Oxtail in Peanut Sauce

This is a mildly flavoured dish from the Philippines, generally served for special occasions. The condiment of choice is bagoong alamang, a salty, sweet-and-sour shrimp paste-based sauce. Serve it with rice, lime wedges and a chili sauce such as Sriracha to spice it up. The annatto seeds lend colour and a mild flavour to the dish, they can be omitted if you prefer.
Yield 6 Servings Prep. Time 20 min Cooking Time 210 min Total Time 230 min

Ingredients

Here are the following ingredients:

  • 2 lb (1 kg) Beef Honeycomb Tripe
  • 2 lb (1 kg) Beef Oxtail , cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces
  • Salt
  • 1½ cups (375 mL) finely diced onions (about 2)
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup (60 mL) annatto seeds
  • 1 cup (250 mL) boiling water
  • ½ cup (125 mL) glutinous rice flour
  • 1 cup (250 mL) smooth natural peanut butter
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) fish sauce
  • 1 large Chinese eggplant, about 8 oz (250 g), cut crosswise into ¼-inch (5 mm) thick slices
  • 6 oz (170 g) long beans or green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch (5 cm) lengths
  • 8 oz (250 g) small-sized Chinese greens such as bok choy, choi sum or gai lan, trimmed
  • Hot cooked rice
  • Chopped peanuts (optional)

Shopping List

Here are the following shopping items to buy:

Method

Follow these cooking methods/directions:

  1. Place the tripe and oxtails into a large pot. Add enough cold water to cover and add 1 tbsp (15 mL) salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 10 minutes. Drain into a colander in the sink. Rinse the tripe and oxtails under cold water, removing any scum.

  2. Cut the tripe into pieces 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) long. Return to the pot with the oxtail. Add 4 quarts (4 L) fresh water, onion, garlic and 1 tsp (5 mL) salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 2½ hours, and adding more water as necessary to make sure water covers ingredients, until the meat is almost tender and the liquid is reduced to about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the meat.

  3. Meanwhile, heat a small heavy skillet over low heat. Add glutinous rice flour and toast, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until a shade beyond golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

  4. Place the annatto seeds in a small heatproof bowl. Pour in boiling water and set aside.

  5. Bring another large pot of water to a boil over high heat. One vegetable at a time, cook the green beans, Chinese greens, then the eggplant in the boiling water for about 2 minutes per batch, until barely tender, removing them with a skimmer and rinsing under cold water to cool. Drain well and reserve.

  6. When the meat is almost tender, place the peanut butter in a blender and add 3 cups (750 mL) of the cooking liquid. Blend until smooth using safety precautions for blending hot liquids. Add the toasted rice powder and blend again. Stir the mixture into the pot.

  7. Without cleaning the blender, add the annatto seeds and their soaking liquid to the blender. Blend until the seeds are broken down into small granules. Drain through a sieve directly into the pot; discard solids.

  8. Simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until stew is lightly thickened and meat is tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and fish sauce. Add the vegetables and heat through. Serve immediately over rice; garnish with peanuts, if desired.