So starts another attempt at writing my thoughts, observations, loves and general tidbits of self-reflection. W/o much more ado...
This past w/e was comprised of some philly <3 in the shape of Tony Luke's bacon ranch french fries and Italian style tripe. The former being amazing (reminiscent of Outback's aussie cheese fries w/ spicy ranch but w/ the appropriate ratio of creamy:salty) while the latter left me remembering why it isn't a good idea to purchase cooked offal from a cheesesteak shop off I-95. The cheesesteaks were good but in my very humble opinion, Jim's was a bit more fond of a memory I'm afraid.
But during dinner, we ended up having a brief conversation I've had many a time re: tripe. Yes, tripe.
It isn't the most appetizing looking food out there. I realize the concept is kind of "nasty" as my nephew has recently learned to say. As it stands, tripe is what we call any of the first 3 chambers of the cow's stomach. It is white, chewy to quite tender (depending on how long it is cooked), and has tiny little bumps on it. Basically, it looks like it is just that, parts from a cow's stomach.
I've enjoyed it at dimsum (steamed w/ oil, ginger, scallions), order it regularly in pho (w/o fail actually), and most recently, tried it braised in tomato sauce. The best I've ever had however is at David Chang's Momofuku Noodle Bar a couple of years back. As a seasonal option, he offered it as a side dish in a very rich and red saucy stew, which I unfortunately cannot fully recall at the moment. It was full of flavor and scrumptious. Currently, he serves it as a noodle dish which I'm pretty sure would be worth trying for the few and friendly open-minded foodies out there.
At the end of the day, I've come to realize that I enjoy food for many, I mean seriously, countless reasons. In this case, the texture of tripe and it's ability to fully become the flavors it is cooked in makes it one of my top 3 fave food loves. Well, for this w/e anyways. For the tripe-fearful, a bit of advice: just close your eyes and chew. :)
Steelers vs. Packers in 2 weeks! I <3 football.
