Goto Batangas

Ingredients

• 500 g ox tripe, cleaned
• 3 tbsp cane vinegar and 1 tbsp rock salt, for scrubbing
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 cup glutinous rice
• 1/2 cup jasmine rice
• 60 g fresh ginger, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 whole head garlic, cloves peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup neutral oil
• 3 tbsp fish sauce, plus more to serve
• 1 tsp kasubha (safflower threads), or 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 2.5 litres water
• 4 eggs, hard-boiled and halved
• 80 g chicharron, crushed
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• Calamansi halves, to serve

Before you cook

• Scrub the tripe hard with the rock salt and vinegar, then rinse it under cold running water until the water runs clear.
• Cut the ginger into fine matchsticks and slice the head of garlic thinly.
• Rinse both rices together in one change of water only, so the starch that thickens the porridge is not washed away.
• Hard-boil and peel the eggs.

Steps

1. Put the scrubbed tripe in a large pot with the bay leaves, peppercorns and enough water to cover it by 5 cm.
2. Bring the pot to the boil and skim off the grey foam that rises in the first few minutes.
3. Lower the heat and simmer the tripe for 90 minutes, topping up with hot water if it drops below the meat.
4. Test a piece by pressing it against the side of the pot; it should collapse under light pressure, so give it another 20 minutes if it resists.
5. Lift the tripe out onto a board, let it cool for 10 minutes, then cut it into 1.5 cm pieces.
6. Strain the cooking liquid and set it aside as your broth.
7. Pour the neutral oil into a cold frying pan, add the sliced garlic and set it over medium-low heat.
8. Fry the garlic for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until it is evenly gold, then drain it on kitchen paper and keep the oil.
9. Heat 3 tablespoons of the garlic oil in the cleaned pot over medium heat.
10. Add the ginger matchsticks and fry them for 2 minutes until the raw edge burns off.
11. Stir in the onion and minced garlic and cook for 4 minutes until softened and fragrant.
12. Tip in both rices and stir them through the aromatics for 2 minutes so every grain is coated.
13. Pour in 2.5 litres of the reserved broth, topping up with water if you are short, and bring it to a boil.
14. Turn the heat to low and simmer the porridge for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring every few minutes so it does not catch on the base.
15. Stir in the chopped tripe and the kasubha and cook for another 10 minutes.
16. Season with the fish sauce and loosen with hot water until the porridge falls slowly off a spoon.
17. Ladle into deep bowls and top each with half a boiled egg, crushed chicharron, spring onion and a heavy pinch of the fried garlic.
18. Serve with calamansi halves and extra fish sauce for people to sharpen their own bowl.