Philadelphia Pepper Pot Soup
Tripe, veal, and vegetables combine to make a thick, hearty soup traditionally known as pepper pot. Do not be deterred by the list of ingredients. This soup is quite easy to make. It does require about 2-1/2 hours of slow simmering, so plan ahead.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 50 minutes
Ingredients:
* 1-1/2 pounds beef honeycomb tripe
* 3 teaspoons salt
* Water with 1 Tablespoon salt
* 3 Tablespoons butter
* 1 cup chopped onions
* 1 whole onion, studded with 3 cloves
* 1 rib celery, sliced thin
* 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced thin
* 1 leek (about 1 cup), washed, sliced, including tender green part
* 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
* 4 cups chicken broth
* 1 cup water
* 1 small meaty veal knuckle
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder or cayenne pepper
* 1 bay leaf, broken in half
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 cups 1/2-inch-diced potatoes
* 1 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 1 Tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tablespoons water
* 1/3 cup butter for garnish
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Preparation:
Rinse tripe under cold water. Drain and place on a cutting board. Sprinkle with salt and rub into tripe to clean the crevices. Rinse again to remove salt.
Place tripe in a 3-quart saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches, with the tablespoon of salt stirred in. Slowly bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes. Drain tripe and let cool. Cut into 1/2-inch cubes and set aside.
Heat a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of butter, chopped onions, whole onion, celery, carrots, leeks, and bell pepper. Stir to coat the vegetables, cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Do not brown.
Add broth and water to the pot, along with the veal knuckle, tripe, garlic, chile powder, bay leaf, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 1-1/2 hours.
Remove the veal knuckle and pick off the meat, cutting any large pieces down to bite size. Discard the whole onion. Return the veal meat to the pot, along with potatoes, evaporated milk, and parsley. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Stir in cornstarch mixture and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until slightly thickened.
Swirl butter into the hot soup until melted and immediately ladle into bowls to serve. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Yield: 6 servings