Soto Babat: Tripe Soto

Ingredients

• 600 g beef honeycomb tripe, scrubbed clean, all membrane removed
• 2 litres water, for initial boiling and re-boiling
• For the turmeric-soto broth
• 1.5 litres water
• 30 g fresh turmeric, peeled and bruised
• 3 stalks lemongrass, bruised
• 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 3 cm galangal, peeled and bruised
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 5 shallots, finely sliced
• 1 tsp white pepper, ground
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste

Method

1. 1
   Place the tripe in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a vigorous boil, drain, and discard the water. Repeat this blanching process a second time. On the third fill, cover the tripe again with fresh cold water and simmer for a prolonged period — several hours — until it yields cleanly to a knife tip and carries no residual smell. The tripe is ready when it is white throughout, tender but still noticeably chewy, and the water runs clear and odourless.
2. 2
   Lift the tripe from the pot, allow it to cool until handleable, then slice it thin across the grain into strips of even width. The surface should appear smooth and slightly gelatinous at the cut edge.
3. 3
   In a separate pot, sweat the shallots and garlic in a small amount of oil over moderate heat until softened and pale gold. Add the turmeric, galangal, and lemongrass, stirring until the raw fragrance of the turmeric gives way to a warm, cooked aroma.
4. 4
   Pour in the measured water for the broth. Add the kaffir lime leaves, white pepper, and salt. Bring to a steady simmer and cook until the broth is deeply golden-yellow and uniformly fragrant — turmeric-forward, aromatic, with no sharp raw note remaining.
5. 5
   Add the sliced tripe to the simmering broth and allow it to heat through fully. Taste the broth: it should be clean, savoury, and bright with turmeric, with the tripe providing a chewy, slightly gelatinous resistance against the liquid lightness of the soup.