Doubanjiang Pepper Book Tripe (郫縣豆瓣酱椒牛百葉, Pei4 Jyun6 Dau6 Faan6 Zoeng3 Ziu1 Ngau4 Baak3 Jip6)

This recipe is very similar to the previously posted beef book tripe recipe: Doubanjiang Bell Pepper Tripe (郫縣豆瓣酱青椒牛百葉, Pei⁴ Jyun⁶ Dau⁶ Faan⁶ Zoeng³ Ceng¹ Ziu¹ Ngau⁴ Baak³ Jip⁶). This recipe uses Poblano chilies, instead of green bell peppers, to give the dish a slightly spicier taste. Poblano chili’s green color is deeper than the bell peppers, so the color gives the dish more contrast against the red of the Doubanjiang. Beef book tripe is another of the cow’s stomachs that are readily available at your local Asian market. While the honeycomb tripe has a honeycomb pattern on one side, the book tripe resembles a book with open pages. The book tripe is commonly served as a Chinese Dim Sum dish and has a crunchier texture than the honeycomb.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb.	500 g.	Fresh whole beef book tripe (牛百葉, ngau4 baak3 jip6)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Baking soda (蘇打粉, sou1 daa2 fan2)
1 in.	2.5 cm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), lightly crushed
4 cloves	4 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), lightly crushed
4 Tbs.	60 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
		Water to boil the beef tripe
1	1	Poblano pepper (椒, ziu1), cut into triangular 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces
1	1	Red bell pepper (紅椒, hung4 ziu1), cut into triangular 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces
8 oz.	227 g.	One package fried tofu (油炸豆腐, jau4 zaa3 dau6 fu6)
3 stalks	3 stalks	Green onions (葱, cung1), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces on the diagonal
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
		Oil for cooking

Sauce Ingredients

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Salted black bean (豆豉, dau6 si6)
3 Tbs.	45 ml.	Sichuan Pixiandouban brand Doubanjiang (郫縣豆瓣酱, pei4 jyun6 dau6 faan6 zoeng3) or equivalent
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)

Equipment

		Garlic press
4 qt.	3.8 L.	Covered bowl
8 qt.	7.5 L.	Pot to parboil the beef tripe
14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

Preparation Instructions (One Day Before)

1. Wash the fresh whole beef book tripe with cold water and then rub the baking soda into the beef. Leave the baking soda on the beef tripe for 15 minutes before washing under cold water.
2. Place the beef tripe, lightly crushed ginger and garlic, and Shaoxing wine or dry sherry into a covered pot and just cover the tripe with cold water. Cover the pot and bring the pot to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to simmer the tripe for another 30 minutes. Remove the beef tripe from the pot and refrigerate overnight in a covered bowl. The liquid in the pot may be discarded.

Preparation Instructions (Cooking Day)

Sichuan Pixiandouban Brand Doubanjiang
(郫縣豆瓣酱, pei4 jyun6 dau6 faan6 zoeng3)

1. Take the beef tripe out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking and cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces.
2. Wash and cut the Poblano and red bell pepper into 2-inch (5 cm.) triangular strips. First cut off the ends of the bell pepper, leaving an open cylinder. Remove the seeds and central core of the bell pepper and make one cut lengthwise to open the cylinder. Flatten the open bell pepper cylinder and cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) strips. Cut triangular pieces from the strips.
3. Open and drain any liquid from the fried tofu package.
4. Crush the ginger and garlic in a garlic press and put into a small bowl.
5. Wash and cut the green onions into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces on the diagonal.
6. Wash and lightly crush the salted black beans in a small bowl. Put the Sichuan Pixiandouban brand Doubanjiang or equivalent into the bowl and mix the ingredients together.
7. Prepare and mix the other sauce ingredients in another small bowl: add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil.

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the fried tofu. Stir fry the fried tofu and then transfer to a bowl.
2. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the Poblano and red bell pepper. Stir fry to brown the bell pepper. Add the bowl with the ginger and garlic mixture to the wok, and then some oil to the mixture. Quickly stir fry all the ingredients until the ginger and garlic become fragrant. Transfer the contents of the wok to the bowl with the fried tofu.
3. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the bowl with the Doubanjiang. Stir fry the Doubanjiang until it becomes darker (red) in color before adding the beef tripe pieces. Stir fry to brown the beef tripe before adding the green onions and the contents of the bowl with the fried tofu back into the wok, and stir fry all the ingredients together.
4. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients to the wok and mix the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish and serve with steamed rice.