ECUADORIAN GUATITA

Guatita is a traditional Ecuadorian meal made from tripe, which is cooked with potatoes in a thick peanut or peanut sauce. Mondongo is also known as librillo, stomach, cow, or beef belly, tripe, or menudo. It's important to note that Ecuadorian guatita is also well renowned for being a great cure for chuchaqui or a hangover. On Saturdays and Sundays, it's not uncommon to find guatita-focused establishments totally packed at extremely early hours.

Ingredients 

To cook the tripe 

• 2 pounds of beef belly or mondongo also known as librillo, tripe or menudo (well washed and cleaned) 
• juice of 1 lemon 
• 10 cups of water 
• 5 sprigs of coriander or cilantro 
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 

To prepare the Guatita 

• ½ cup peanut butter, unsalted 
• 2 cups of milk 
• 3 tablespoons of butter 
• 1 cup chopped red or red onion 
• 2 cups of chopped white onion 
• ½ red or green bell pepper, chopped 
• 1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped 
• 4 minced garlic cloves 
• 2 teaspoons of ground annatto 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano 
• 4 white potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Companions 

• Rice 
• Pickled onions 
• Avocado and tomato 
• Creole chili 
• Fried plantains

Preparation 

1. After soaking the mondongo for 10 minutes in water, salt, and half of the lemon juice, it should be washed and the procedure repeated. The second time, thoroughly wash it. 
2. Place the tripe, along with the coriander sprigs, garlic, salt, cumin, and ten cups of water it rinsed with, in a big saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about two hours, or until tripe has softened. 
3. Reserve 2 cups of the broth used to boil the tripe after removing it from the water and letting it cool somewhat. 
4. Thin the peanut butter with 1/2 cup of milk in the meanwhile. 
5. Chop the mondongo into very small pieces once it has cooled.
6. With the butter, achiote, cumin, salt, oregano, onion, pepper, tomato, and garlic, prepare a refried or sofrito. Cook over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes, or until the onions are tender and nearly translucent. 
7. Blend the milk, peanut butter, and refried sauce in a blender until you get a smooth sauce. 
8. A large saucepan should be used to combine the blended sauce, 2 cups of tripe broth, diced potatoes, and chopped tripe. The mixture should be brought to a boil, then simmered until the potatoes are cooked and the liquid starts to thicken.  
9. To thicken the sauce, slightly smash the potatoes. Then, taste and adjust the salt. To taste, add salt and pepper. 
10. Rice, pickled onions, tomato slices, avocado, and a potent chili pepper should all be served alongside the guatita.

One of such foods that generates certain reactions is the guatita: 

1) If you've had it before and enjoy it, guatita will make your mouth wet when you see a platter of it.

2) After trying it, you just don't like it. 

3) If you've never You haven't eaten guatita or any other foods made with mondongo, but they don't sound very pleasant to you; they seem like one of those uncommon, exotic cuisines that would be similar to eating worms. 

4) You've previously had mondongo cooked in a different method, but it didn't persuade you of everything, so you're inclined to attempt a different preparation.

As always, I hope this post has been helpful and you have increased your cooking knowledge. If you are interested in learning more about the subject, I invite you to see the other posts we have on the subject, surely you will find one that interests you. and let me know which recipe you would like to know.