Uruguayan Buseca (Tripe with Butter Beans and Chorizo)

Buseca is one of Uruguay’s favorite winter dishes. It arrived with Italian immigrants (in Italy it’s called busecca) and became truly Uruguayan with butter beans, smoky chorizo and paprika. It takes time, but most of it is hands-off simmering, and the reward is a deeply comforting bowl.

• Servings: 6
• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Cook time: about 3 hours (1 1/2 hours with a pressure cooker)
• Total time: about 3 1/2 hours

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 lb (800 g) cleaned beef honeycomb tripe
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 5 oz (150 g) bacon or pancetta, diced
• 1 Spanish-style chorizo, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 cups (1 liter) beef broth
• 2 potatoes, cubed
• 1 can (15 oz) butter beans (lima beans), drained
• Salt, pepper, grated Parmesan and parsley, to serve

Instructions

1. Boil the tripe. Rinse it well and place it in a pot of cold water with the bay leaves and salt. Simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until tender when pierced (about 40 minutes in a pressure cooker). Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water, and cut into thin strips.
2. Brown the bacon and chorizo. In a large pot with the oil, cook the bacon and chorizo over medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Add the vegetables. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots and cook 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
4. Build the sauce. Stir in the tomatoes, paprika and oregano and cook 5 minutes. Add the tripe, broth and reserved cooking water. Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
5. Add the potatoes and cook 20 minutes, until tender.
6. Finish with the beans. Add the butter beans and cook 10 minutes more. The sauce should be thick. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Serve hot with grated Parmesan, parsley and crusty bread.

Tips

• Where to find tripe: look for cleaned honeycomb tripe at Latin, Asian or Italian markets. Pre-cleaned tripe saves the longest step.
• Using dried beans: soak them overnight and boil about 45 minutes before adding.
• Next-day magic: buseca tastes even better reheated, once the flavors have settled.

Leer esta receta en español: Buseca Uruguaya

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