Callos a la Madrileña (Madrid-Style Tripe Stew)

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Classic Madrid comfort food with a silky, collagen-rich sauce that coats every bite.
• Deep paprika-tomato flavor balanced by dry sherry and a gentle, customizable heat.
• Charcuterie added at the right time: chorizo stays meaty; morcilla stays intact.
• Oven braising at a steady low heat ensures tender tripe and fall-apart trotters.

Grocery List

• Produce: 2 lemons (or white vinegar), 2 onions, 1 carrot, 1 head garlic, fresh parsley
• Dairy: None
• Pantry: Beef honeycomb tripe, pork trotters, Spanish chorizo, morcilla, canned crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, extra-virgin olive oil, dry sherry (or dry white wine), pimentón dulce, pimentón picante (hot smoked paprika), bay leaves, dried guindilla or chili flakes, ground cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, low-sodium beef stock

Full Ingredients

For Cleaning and Blanching

• 1 kg beef honeycomb tripe, cleaned, cut into 4 cm pieces
• 2 pork trotters (about 1 kg), split lengthwise
• 2 liters cold water (for soaking)
• 2 tbsp white vinegar or juice of 1 lemon (for soaking)
• 1 onion, halved (for blanching, optional)
• 1 bay leaf (for blanching, optional)

For the Braise

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp sweet Spanish paprika (pimentón dulce)
• 1/2 tsp hot smoked paprika (pimentón picante), or to taste
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 400 g canned crushed tomatoes (14 oz)
• 150 ml dry sherry (or dry white wine)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 dried guindilla chile (or 1/2 tsp chili flakes)
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1.5 liters low-sodium beef stock (about 6 cups), plus hot water as needed
• Optional but great: 1 small cured ham bone or piece of jamón rind

Charcuterie and Finish

• 250 g Spanish chorizo, 1 cm slices
• 200 g morcilla (blood sausage), cut into thick slices
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
• Crusty bread, for serving

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Clean and soak the tripe and trotters

Place the tripe and split trotters in a large bowl and cover with 2 liters cold water mixed with 2 tbsp white vinegar or the juice of 1 lemon. Soak for 20–30 minutes to deodorize. Rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Pat dry. Cut the tripe into roughly 4 cm squares if not already done.

Step 2: Blanch to remove impurities

Add the tripe and trotters to a large pot, cover with cold water by 5 cm, add the halved onion and a bay leaf (optional), and bring to a strong boil. Boil for 10 minutes, skimming foam. Drain, discard the blanching liquid and aromatics, rinse the meats and the pot, and set aside.

Step 3: Build the Madrid-style sofrito

In the cleaned pot (a heavy Dutch oven works best), heat 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the diced onion and carrot with a pinch of salt until translucent and lightly golden, 6–8 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute. Take the pot off the heat and add both paprikas, stirring for 30 seconds to gently bloom the spices without burning. Return to medium heat; stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes to reduce slightly. Pour in the dry sherry and simmer 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol.

Step 4: Assemble and start the braise

Add the blanched tripe and trotters to the pot along with bay leaves, guindilla (or chili flakes), cumin, black pepper, and the optional ham bone or jamón rind. Pour in the beef stock to just cover (add a little hot water if needed). Bring to a gentle simmer on the stovetop, then cover and transfer to a 300°F/150°C oven for 1 hour 30 minutes.

Step 5: Add the chorizo and continue braising

Stir in the chorizo slices and return the pot to the 300°F/150°C oven for another 60 minutes. Check the liquid level halfway; add a splash of hot water if the tripe isn’t mostly submerged. When done, the tripe should be tender with a slight bounce, and the trotters should be gelatinous and nearly fall from the bone.

Step 6: Finish with morcilla and seasonings

Return the pot to the stovetop over low heat. Add the morcilla slices and simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes to warm through without breaking apart. Stir in 1 tbsp sherry vinegar and season to taste with salt and additional pepper. If the sauce seems thin, simmer uncovered 10 more minutes; if too thick, loosen with a splash of hot water or stock.

Step 7: Rest and serve

Let the callos rest off the heat for 10 minutes to allow the collagen-rich sauce to thicken slightly. Remove any loose bones from the trotters if you prefer. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot with plenty of crusty bread.

Pro Tips

• Bloom the paprika off the heat for 20–30 seconds to prevent bitterness.
• Add chorizo midway and morcilla at the very end to keep their textures perfect.
• Oven braising at 300°F/150°C gives a steady, gentle simmer for tender results.
• Skim fat and foam occasionally for a clearer, silkier sauce; chilling overnight lets you lift any fat cap easily.
• For deeper flavor, include a small cured ham bone or jamón rind in the pot.

Variations

• With Chickpeas: Stir in 1–1.5 cups cooked chickpeas during the final 20 minutes.
• Pressure Cooker: After the sofrito, cook tripe and trotters under high pressure 35 minutes; quick release, add chorizo 10 minutes on sauté, then morcilla last 5 minutes.
• Extra-Spicy: Increase hot smoked paprika to 1 tsp and add a second guindilla.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Callos improves overnight. Cool completely, then refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop until just simmering, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened. Avoid vigorous boiling, which can break the morcilla.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate: 620 calories; 38 g fat; 12 g carbohydrates; 48 g protein; 1,500 mg sodium. Values will vary with specific sausages and stock.