Burnt My Fingers

Pickled tripe in gelatin, after a night in the fridge. Conclusion of our pickled tripe experiment.

The July 4 plan to drive to Ephrata, PA for more of the magnificent King’s Meats pickled tripe fell through, leaving us with no option but to make it in our own kitchen. Here’s how the final chapter in our pickled tripe experiment went down.

When we left off, we had a strategy to produce some rich gelatinous pigs’ feet broth (hereinafter “pig juice”) to bind our pickled tripe and, simultaneously, to try a prep where powdered gelatin was the binding agent. We procured a package of two split pigs’ feet from Walmart, $1.98 per pound and about $3 total. These were cooked a very long time in a stock similar to our last batch: celery, carrot, onion, bay leaf, pickling spices plus some peppercorns and a light amount of salt. In about 3 hours the meat was falling off the bone so we strained the pig juice and set it to cool in the refrigerator overnight.

Strained pig juice after a night in the fridge…. we have jelly!

In the morning we found just what we were hoping for: stock so stiff that it easily held its shape even with the container on its side. We removed the fat from the top surface (a couple of tablespoons) and reheated the pig juice with some fresh tripe that had been simmered five minutes in plain water, then drained, to get rid of any nasty bits. We intentionally left the lid off the pot during part of the cook, so the volume was reduced by a quarter and the collagen quotient would become even greater. After 90 aromatic minutes, the tripe had reached the stage of chewy/tender perfection we were looking for.

Simultaneously, we took a second batch of fresh tripe and, after the initial simmer and drain, cooked it for 90 minutes in plain water with a batch of seasonings similar to those for the pigs’ feet. We strained the stock and added cider vinegar on a ratio of 2 parts vinegar to 3 parts stock, then added 1 packet of gelatin per 8 oz liquid. (We used two packets.)

We added cider vinegar to the tripe in pig juice with the same 2/3 vinegar/water ratio, but no gelatin because we were counting on the collagen from the pig’s feet to hold it together. Half of the liquid stayed with the tripe; the other half went over the leftover bits of pig foot meat (maybe 1 cup) that had been picked off the bone. Now all three preps went into flat containers that would spend the night in the refrigerator.

Floating Islands…. pickled tripe pieces that should have been pressed below the surface

We woke to three containers of solid, non-jiggly product. Huzzah! We also noticed a mistake that we had avoided by pure luck in our earlier experiment. The last time, we pressed the tripe into a tight container where it set its shape overnight. This time, with the stock simply poured over, random bits stuck out of the gel like icebergs or floating islands in custard. So the step to compress and chill the tripe pieces needs to be added to any recipe.

initial result with gelatin, notably less sturdy than the pig juice version

The contents of the three containers were loosened with some knife work around the edges, then flipped over onto a prep surface. Now you could see and feel that the blocks containing the pig juice were definitely more solid than the tripe with gelatin. We cut them into cubes with a sharp knife.

Pickled tripe in pig juice… the finished product

The gelatin tripe blocks didn’t disintegrate as in our previous pickled tripe experiment, but they took some damage. The pig juice blocks held their shape much better.

Now for the taste test, which when eating tripe includes mouthfeel/texture. The gelatin tripe was ok, but the pig’s feet tripe was somewhat more flavorful as well as more cohesive. It didn’t taste “piggy” and I suspect the average taster would not identify the porcine element. And in a surprise second place finish, the pigs’ feet in pig juice were almost indistinguishable from the tripe in taste and texture… both being composed of delightfully chewy mystery meat.

Pickling liquid with pigs’ feet meat, not tripe. Not bad at all…

On further chewing, we realized the gelatin tripe was simply less tender than the pig juice tripe. The two batches had cooked the same amount of time, so my theory is that the viscosity of the protein bits in the pig juice made for more efficient heat transfer. (My wife, a scientist, says this is nonsense.) So the gelatin tripe went back in the saucepan for another hour on the stove. This time I cut it into smaller chunks (about 1 inch square) so it would not protrude from the surface so much. Back into the fridge and the next morning it was solid and sliced beautifully.

Compare to the King’s Meats tripe control in my long ago picture, and you will see the form factor is quite similar. Our tripe, both the pig juice and gelatin versions, shades to a light brown vs neutral grey, but I think that is due to a blue effect in early morning light outside the Intercourse, PA motel where I photographed the King’s Meats product.

Pickled tripe in gelatin, sliced for serving

After the additional cooking, the gelatin tripe had a flavor very close to that of the pig juice tripe. So we have a virtual three-way tie. The gelatin prep is easiest, and I’m guessing that is what King’s Meats uses. If you want a more “natural” binding agent in your pickled tripe in return for some extra elbow grease, pig’s feet are the way to go. And, I would certainly try a prep where we combine the pigs feet bits and the tripe in the same gel.

Next: the official recipe.