Polish beef tripe (flaczki wołowe)

Published: February 14th, 2023 - Last updated: September 28th, 2023

Tripe, called "flaczki" in Polish, is a traditional meat dish in the form of a thick and nutritious soup. It can be prepared in various ways. Its main ingredient is invariably boiled pieces of the stomach. Together with vegetables and herbs, they create unprecedented culinary experiences. Although beef tripe is the most common, pork tripe can also be used. In some older recipes, we can also find deer stomachs, such as those from red deer, fallow deer, or elk.

This type of dish is also known in the cuisines of many other nations. Various variants of this dish can also be found in Czech, Austrian, French, German, Italian, and Asian cuisine. Each has its own distinct seasoning and serving style.

How was the flaczki created?

Tripe is one of the oldest Polish soups, which gained popularity in Poland in the Middle Ages. The history of this dish dates back to the 14th century, making it one of the oldest Polish soups. Some sources claim that she even visited royal courts. In the old days, when food was not easy, all parts of animals that could be eaten were used.

Thus, some sources claim that it is a dish of poor people who could not afford meat. However, this dish was also popular among knights and townspeople. Of course, in those days, the main ingredient was deer stomachs. The exact origin of flaczki is unclear, but it can be influenced by early Polish hunting traditions.

During the Polish People's Republic, tripe was a common dish. That was served in milk bars due to its affordability and nutritional value. It became trendy among workers as it provided them with a hearty and inexpensive meal option. Fast forward to today, tripe has retained its popularity throughout Poland. Different regions have their unique variations of this soup.

How to prepare tripe?

Many different recipes are depending on the region of Poland. This recipe is perhaps the most popular. Currently, we can get tripe in various forms, both fresh and cooked or frozen. It should be noted that they are not white, because it proves that they were soaked in strong vinegar solutions. The tripe should be yellowish-gray in color. The base for the tripe is beef broth, so if we have it already prepared, the step of preparing the broth can be omitted.

Recipe informations:

Preparation

120 minutes

Total

240 minutes

Yield

Servings 8

4 (1)

Ingredients for the broth which is the base for tripe

1 kg of beef (brisket)
2.5 liters of water
2 medium or larger carrots
about 15 cm leek
a piece of celery root
1 parsley root
1 teaspoon of salt,
half a flat teaspoon of pepper

Tripe

1 kg of beef tripe - in sheets or cut
3 cloves of garlic
3 full spoons of marjoram
4 grains of allspice
2 bay leaves
one level teaspoon of ground ginger
one flat teaspoon of nutmeg
salt and pepper

Steps for base for tripe

1. Step

Place the washed beef in a large pot, cover with cold water and then add salt and cook over medium heat until curdled protein appears or the broth becomes cloudy.

2. Step

While cooking, we can take care of the vegetables. So we peel them and cut them into smaller pieces as desired. TIP: Smaller pieces can be added to tripe later.

3. Step

We take the meat out of the water, and then, after rinsing, pour fresh water and start the process of cooking the meat again.

4. Step

After about 15 minutes, we remove the cut protein again and we can reduce the cooking temperature - preferably to a minimum so that the broth slowly boils.

5. Step

Put the prepared vegetables into this solution. Cover the dish and cook over low heat for about 3 hours.

6. Step

After this time, we take out the meat and vegetables, and strain the resulting broth.

Steps for soup

1. Step

The tripe should be thoroughly washed and then cut into several smaller pieces.

2. Step

Put the tripe prepared in this way in slightly salted water so that the water completely covers the tripe. Then we start cooking them uncovered for about 20 minutes.

3. Step

After this time, we take them out of the water and after a slight cooling, we can clean them of the remaining membranes and fat.

4. Step

In the next step, we cut the tripe into even smaller pieces so that they are ready to eat.

5. Step

Put the tripe prepared in this way back into the pot with salted water and repeat the cooking process for another 20 minutes. We do this process twice.

6. Step

After the third cooking, we can decide whether their softness and smell is appropriate. The cooking process can be repeated one more time or even two times. The tripe will get softer with each cooking.

7. Step

After cooking the tripe base, remove all the meat and vegetables from it. Put the carrots, parsley and celery in a separate dish.

8. Step

We separate the meat from the bones, skin and fibers, chop them into small pieces and place them in the dish with the vegetables. Add meat and vegetables to the soup at the end of cooking.

9. Step

To the prepared base add the previously prepared tripe with marjoram, allspice, bay leaf and other ingredients.

10. Step

Bring the resulting soup to a boil and cook over low heat for at least 30 minutes until the tripe is soft.

11. Step

After this time, add the previously separated meat and vegetables and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Similar recipies:

Dršťková Polévka - Czech beef tripe

120 minutes

240 minutes

Servings 6

4 (1)