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1
Clean and Blanch the Offal
25 Mins • Hands On
Boil, 100°C (212°F)
Put the tripe and liver in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, skimming off any foam. Drain, rinse the offal under cold water, and set aside. This first boil takes away any strong smell and leaves the soup clean-tasting.
Skim the foam as it rises — that is what would cloud the soup later.
Done when: The water runs clear after rinsing and the offal smells mild, not strong.
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2
Build the Golden Base
10 Mins • Hands On
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot and cook the white onion gently for about 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic, annatto and cumin and cook for 1 minute more, until the oil turns deep gold and smells warm and earthy.
Annatto burns fast — stir it in off the fiercest heat and keep it moving.
Done when: The onion is soft and the oil is a deep, even gold.
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3
Simmer the Soup
45 Mins • Hands On
Simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Add the beef stock, the potatoes and the blanched offal, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 40 minutes, stirring now and then, until the potatoes are falling apart and the small dice have dissolved into the broth, thickening it. The tripe should be tender and the liver cooked through to at least 71°C (160°F).
Keep it at a bare simmer — a hard boil makes the liver tough and the potatoes gluey.
Done when: The soup is thick and golden, the potatoes are soft, and the tripe yields to a fork.
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4
Add the Blood Sausage
15 Mins • Hands On
Gentle simmer, about 90°C (195°F)
Lay the blood-sausage rounds in the soup and simmer gently for 10–15 minutes, without stirring hard. The sausage is done when it is heated through to 74°C (165°F) and holds its shape. Taste and season with salt.
Do not boil the sausage hard — it bursts and turns the soup gritty.
Done when: The sausage rounds are hot through and still whole, and the soup tastes rich and savoury.
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5
Finish With Milk and Cheese
5 Mins • Hands On
Low heat, about 80°C (175°F)
Take the pot off the fiercest heat and stir in the warm milk, then scatter the crumbled queso fresco over the top. Let it stand for 2 minutes so the cheese softens into the soup without the milk splitting.
Milk splits if it boils — keep the heat low and stir gently.
Done when: The soup is creamy and golden, with soft white flecks of cheese through it.
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6
Top and Serve
5 Mins • Hands On
Off the heat
Ladle the soup into wide bowls, making sure every bowl gets offal and blood-sausage slices. Top with the pickled red onion, diced avocado and cilantro, and serve at once with hot sauce on the side for those who want it.
Avocado goes on at the last second — it browns fast once cut.
Done when: Each bowl is golden and creamy, topped with pink onion, green avocado and dark sausage slices.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Stir in the milk and cheese off the boil so the soup turns creamy without splitting. Ladle into wide bowls, top each with blood-sausage slices and offal, and set out the pickled onion, avocado and cilantro so everyone finishes their own bowl.
Ecuador
30m
