Beef, variety meats and by-products, tripe, cooked, simmered

Tripe is the lining of beef stomach, and simmering is the classic way to bring it from rubbery to tender. It is cleaned, then cooked low and slow for a long stretch, often after a first blanch to mellow its aroma, until it turns silky and yielding. The flavor is mild and takes on whatever it is cooked in, which is why tripe anchors dishes like Mexican menudo, Italian trippa alla romana, and many Asian noodle soups where it soaks up chili, tomato, and aromatics. Its texture is the main draw: soft with a gentle chew and a honeycomb surface that catches sauce. Cooks usually cut it into strips or squares after simmering and finish it in a seasoned broth.

Nutritionally it is lean and modest per 100 g, with 94 calories, 11.7 g protein (23% of the Daily Value), 4.05 g fat, and only 68 mg sodium, plus a small 1.99 g of carbohydrate. That light profile is part of why it suits long-cooked, brothy meals where richness comes from the broth rather than the meat. Buy tripe that looks clean and smells fresh, give it a thorough rinse, and simmer it the same day or freeze it. It keeps best cooked and portioned. An ounce is about 85 g here for reference. Plan for time rather than effort: the work is mostly patient simmering, then seasoning it boldly at the end so the mild meat carries the dish.