Callos

Ingredients:

1 k. of ox tripe
1 k. of ox leg
1 pc. of chorizo de bilbao
1 whole garlic
1 whole onion
5 pcs. of peppercorn
1 bay leaf
1 whole garlic, minced
2 onions, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 carrot
1 c. of cooked chicken peas (garbanzos), peeled
3/4 c. of frozen sweet peas
3-4 potatoes
2 bell peppers. julienned
1/2 c. of tomato paste
2 pcs. of chili pepper
3 tbsp. of olive oil
2 c. of beef stock
salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp. of finely chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp. of finely chopped fresh rosemary
12 pcs. of pitted olives (optional)

Cooking Instructions:

Wash the ox tripe and leg. Remove all visible fat from tripe; scrape leg with a sharp knife. Place them in a large casserole and cover with water. Add whole garlic, onion, peppercorns and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; remove scum as it rises. Cover and simmer until tender (4 to 6 hours, depending on the age of the ox). Alternatively, use a pressure cooker. Cook the meat for about 2 hours counting from the time the valve starts to whistle.

Transfer the cooked meat to a plate and cool. Strain the stock. Measure 2 cups; reserve remainder for later use. Cut the tripe and leg meat into 1/2″ x 2″ strips.

Peel the potatoes and carrots. Cut into 3/4″ x 3/4″ cubes. Cut the chorizo de bilbao into very thin round slices.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or casserole. Over medium-high heat, saute the garlic, chili peppers and onions until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add bell peppers and tomatoes and cook for another 45 seconds. Add chorizo de bilbao slices and cook until they start rendering color. Increase heat to high and add the tripe and leg strips. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, beef broth, carrots, chick peas and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Uncover the stew and add the sweet peas, basil and rosemary. Cover and simmer for another 3 minutes. Serve hot with pitted olives on the side. Alternatively, add the olives to the stew at the same time as the sweet peas.

Notes/Serving Instructions:

I had an old callos recipe on this blog. But I had been experimenting and this new one is definitely much better. A legacy from the Spanish colonial era, this savory stew of ox tripe and leg is flavored with spicy chorizo de bilbao and traditionally served with olives. What makes callos special? Why is it different from other beef stews? The chorizo de bilbao is a major factor. chorizo de bilbao, or blood sausage, is a spicy sausage packed in paprika flavored lard. In the Philippines, they are available canned or frozen. A bit expensive, but the flavor it gives a dish is just wonderful. Highly spiced, one chorizo de bilbao is enough for this recipe. Then, of course, the stock that comes from simmering the ox leg is incomparable. It is naturally thick and sticky. If available, choose bone-in ox leg. The flavor will even be richer. If fresh basil, parsley and rosemary are not available, substitute the dried variety, but reduce the amount by half. Actually, you can omit them altogether BUT the flavor and aroma of the cooked dish will not be the same.