Entree: Moldova – Ciorbă de Burtă (Hearty sour tripe soup enriched with garlic, vinegar, and a creamy egg-sour cream liaison)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 2 hrs 45 min

Total 3 hrs 5 min

Ingredients

- 1.5 lb (680 g) beef tripe, cleaned
- 1 lb (454 g) beef bones with marrow (for stock)
- 10 cups (2.4 L) water
- 1 large onion, peeled and halved, about 6 oz (170 g)
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced, about 2 oz (60 g)
- 1 celery stalk, sliced, about 1 oz (30 g)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp (2 g) whole black peppercorns
- 6 cloves garlic, mashed (about 18 g)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) white vinegar, plus extra to taste
- 1 cup (240 g) sour cream
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 tbsp (30 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter
- 1 tsp (2 g) sweet paprika or to taste
- Salt to taste (about 2 tsp / 12 g)
- 1/4 cup (15 g) fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 hot pepper (like a small hot chili) or 1/2 tsp (1 g) crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

1. Rinse the tripe thoroughly. Place beef bones and tripe in a large pot with 10 cups (2.4 L) water, onion, bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 2–3 hours until tripe is tender.
2. Remove bones and onion; strain and reserve clear broth. Remove tripe and cut into thin short strips (about 1/2 in / 1 cm wide).
3. In a clean pot, melt butter over medium heat and sauté carrot and celery until slightly softened, 5 minutes. Add the sliced tripe and pour in the reserved broth. Simmer 10 minutes to marry flavors.
4. In a small bowl whisk together egg yolks, sour cream and flour until smooth. Temper the liaison by whisking in 1 cup (240 ml) hot soup broth slowly until warm, then pour the tempered mixture back into the pot, stirring constantly over low heat. Do not boil vigorously after adding the liaison to avoid curdling.
5. Stir in mashed garlic, 1/4 cup (60 ml) vinegar (add more later to taste), paprika and salt. Simmer gently 5–7 minutes to thicken slightly and develop flavor. Adjust seasoning and acidity with additional vinegar and salt as desired.
6. If desired, add the hot pepper or red pepper flakes for heat. Remove bay leaves. Serve hot garnished with chopped parsley and extra minced garlic or a drizzle of sour cream at the table.