Momma Mia’s Callos

i know it’s been a while since i promised to share my mom’s recipe for callos. i’ve been uninspired and well quite lazy lately hehehehehe.

i am fortunate because my mom can cook. and not just cook… but cook damned good food! i’m not just saying that because she’s my mom, but because it is true. i know there are mothers out there who can’t even boil water to save their lives, those who are solely dependent on fast food take-outs and the hired help.

half of what i know about cooking i acquired from my mom. (the other half i learned on my own). my mom told me she started cooking at a young age. she would watch her grandmother prepare meals, asking questions and learning the method of preparation and cooking. that’s pretty much how i started myself…. watching my mom cook, helping her prepare ingredients, until eventually i started to cook on my own. but that’s another story.

going back to momma mia, yes she is very good in the kitchen. she always whips up something fantastic , be it a simple meal or a big gathering at home. my friends can attest to that. right nina? =) i always have them over during parties or on the odd weekend that my mom makes something special.

anyway, enough with the rambling and on with the recipe!

enjoy!

Momma Mia’s Callos

ingredients:

half a kilo of ox tripe, cleaned, boiled and cut into small cubes
garbanzos, about two cans
2 pcs chorizo, sliced ( my mom uses king sue chorizo)
fat from the chorizo
olive oil for sauteing
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion or 1 small onion, chopped
tomato paste, about 1 small can or pouch (110 gms roughly)
salt and pepper to taste
red and green bell pepper, cut into small cubes
beef stock or water

how to clean the oxtripe:

wash the oxtripe in running water. using the sharp edge of a knife, scrape the underside and top of the tripe to remove the filmy substance. wash again in running water.

boil and cook the oxtripe until tender. cut into small cubes, the size of a dice. ln a pot, heat olive oil and the fat from the chorizo. saute the garlic and onions. add in the ox tripe. stir in tomato paste and allow to cook for a minute. add in the garbanzos and chorizo, and stir. pour in just enough beef stock or water to cover . simmer, do not boil, until the garbanzos are cooked, and the stock is slightly reduced and thickened. add in the bell peppers and season with salt and pepper to taste. simmer 5 minutes more. serve hot with crusty bread such as a baguette or sour dough bread.