If you’ve ever eaten tacunas or tacos, then you know that they are usually filled with ground meat (beef, chicken, fish) and rice.
But what if you want something different for dinner?
You may be interested in trying out this recipe that uses tripe instead of meat as filling.
The result is similar to taco but calls itself “Callos Recipe” on its packaging.
How Do You Make Callos?
A typical callo recipe has three main components – tripe, pork, and chorizo.
There will also be some additional spices added like garlic, onion, salt, pepper, etc., depending on personal taste.
- Tripe
You can buy fresh tripe from your local grocery store or butcher shop.
If it’s not available at your place, you can use ground up cow stomachs (not recommended).
Just make sure to check their expiration date before using them.
To prepare the tripe, soak it overnight in water mixed with 1/4 cup vinegar.
This helps remove any impurities and makes it easier to cook.
Next day, rinse thoroughly and clean off any remaining blood stains.
Then cut open the tripe lengthwise into four pieces.
Remove the intestine part by cutting along the inside edge of each piece.
Then discard the membrane covering the inner surface of the tripe.
- Pork
The second component is pork belly.
It should be soaked in cold water for several hours until soft enough to slice easily.
In order to get rid of excess fat and connective tissue, wash it well after soaking.
After slicing the pork belly into thin strips, set aside for later.
- Chorizo
Chorizo is an ingredient commonly used in many Filipino dishes, especially those served in restaurants.
To make it, just buy pre-made sausages, which come already sliced.
If you don’t have one handy, you can always purchase a package of chorizo paste or sausage powder at your supermarket.
Just add boiling water to make a thick liquid sauce.
Mix together all the ingredients, except the tripe, and simmer over medium heat until the mixture turns slightly brownish.
Once the mixture starts to boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add more water during cooking if needed.
What Are The Ingredients In Callos?
The most common ingredient used in making callos recipes is tripe, which can be found at Asian grocery stores.
Tripe is usually sold in packages in the refrigerated section of an Asian market.
It’s also available online through Amazon, where it sells for around $15 per pound.
Other than tripe, there are other ingredients that you will need to buy when preparing callos recipes.
You can find these at your local supermarket, like onion powder, garlic powder, and salt/pepper.
If you don’t have any of those, you can use powdered seasoning packets instead.
There are two types of callos recipes: one with pork and another with beef.
Pork callos typically contain more fat while beef callos tend to be leaner.
So depending on how much you weigh, you might want to adjust the amounts of each ingredient accordingly.
Ingredients for Pork Callos Recipe
- 1 lb. pork belly
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 cups diced onions
- 5 cloves garlic
- 4 teaspoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Pork callos require about six hours of cooking time before serving.
Ingredients for Beef Callos Recipe
- 1 lb. beef tripe
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 cups diced onions
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Beef callos should take about three hours to cook.
What Is The History Of Callos?
As we mentioned earlier, callos are considered to be one of the most traditional food items in the Philippines.
It was originally created by the local indigenous people who lived along the shores of Manila Bay.
This dish has been passed down through generations since their ancestors started making it thousands of years ago.
Even today, it remains a staple food in many Filipinos households.
The name ‘callo’ literally means “meat stick” or “dried meat.”
Callos can also refer to any type of dried meat product like jerky or salted meats from animals such as goats, pigs, sheep, and cows.
According to some historians, the first callos were cooked using an iron skillet called olla.
These pans have long spouts at both ends so that water could run off while cooking.
So, when these callos were ready, they would pour hot water over them to make them soft enough to eat without burning your mouth.
What makes callos unique?
There are several things that set callos apart from other types of meat products.
For starters, there isn’t much fat content because it’s mostly composed of protein which takes up most of the space inside.
The second reason why callos are quite healthy is due to the fact that they contain high amounts of calcium, vitamin B12, and iron.
However, callos do not come cheap.
In addition to being expensive compared to other types of meat, they take time to cook properly.
That said, there are ways to speed up the process by adding different ingredients to the mix.
Here are three recipes that will help you create delicious callos quickly and cheaply.
How Did Callos Become Popular?
Taco has been around since the Spanish colonization in 1521.
But it wasn’t until 1836 when Filipinos were able to cook their own food using native ingredients.
That was how callos became popular.
It can be traced back from the Philippines’ first cookbook, Libro de Cocina published by Josefina Rizal in 1892.
It tells us that there used to be only one type of callo for every meal.
It was made with boiled tripe and served with fried banana leaves.
However, over time, people added other fillings such as the ones mentioned above.
Ingredients of Callos Recipe
- 4 pounds (1.8 kg) beef tripe
- ½ pound (0.23 kg) chorizo sausage
- ¼ pound (0.11 kg) pork belly fatback
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Instructions of Callos Recipe
- Cut tripe into thin strips
- Heat oil in a pan and sauté garlic, onions and green bell peppers
- Add salt and pepper
- Add the tripe, chorizo, and pork belly fatback
- Mix well
- Cover and let simmer for 2 hours
- After cooking, remove cover and add more water to keep warm
- Serve hot with fried bananas
What Are Some Interesting Facts About Callos?
The originality of the name came from the fact that it was originally called ‘Calong-o’ by Filipinos because of the shape of the tripe used to make the dish.
However, since it wasn’t very tasty, people changed it to callos.
Today, there are several variations of how callos can be prepared.
Some recipes include shrimp paste, garlic, onion, chili pepper, and other ingredients that add flavor and spice to the dish.
Ingredients for Callos Recipe
- 1 kg of Tripe
- 500 gm of Pork fatback
- 250 gm of Chorizo sausage
- 100 ml of Coconut milk
- Salt to taste
Steps for Making Callos Recipe
You will need all these things to prepare callos.
- Start by washing your tripe thoroughly so that it doesn’t have any dirt on it.
- Cut the tripe into small pieces by cutting along the sinew line.
- Afterwards, put them onto a plate and freeze overnight until solidified.
- Heat up the pan and fry the tripe until crispy.
- Add 2 cups of water and cook until boiling point.
- Now, simmer the tripe for at least an hour until soft and tender.
- Once done, drain off excess liquid and set aside.
- Pour coconut milk over the tripe and mix well.
- Then season with salt and spices such as black pepper, cumin powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, etc.
- Take a large bowl and place tripe inside.
- Then, start rolling the mixture around using a fork.
- Keep doing this until you reach 1/4th of the total amount of tripe.
- Place the rolled tripe back onto the same bowl and roll again.
- Repeat steps 4 through 7 until you finish making callos.
How Many Calories Are In Callos?
The calorie count depends on how much fillings you put into it.
If you use just one slice of tripe, it will provide you with around 200 calories per serving.
But if you double up your servings, it can easily reach 500 calories per serving.
On the other hand, when you add more ingredients like sliced meats and cheese, the calories go beyond 1,000 calories per serving.
Calories from carbohydrates
- Tripe has high-quality protein content which gives you lots of energy.
- It also contains essential amino acids such as leucine, lysine, methionine, threonine, valine, histidine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, and arginine.
- It’s low in fat content since most of the fats have been removed during processing.
- Since it is not processed, it does contain good amounts of dietary fiber.
Calories from fat
- Fat plays an important role in maintaining human health by providing us with necessary nutrients and keeping our bodies hydrated.
- The fat in tripe provides you with healthy saturated fatty acid (SFA).
- Saturated fatty acids help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart diseases.
- Tripe is low in sodium because it is very lean compared to beef tripe or bovine intestine.
Calories from carbs
- Carbs provide us with energy through glucose.
- Glucose helps improve blood sugar level and keeps us energized throughout the day.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Callos?
Tripe is considered an underappreciated food by most people because it can often go bad quickly due to bacteria buildup.
But thanks to modern technology, we now have ways of preserving tripe so that we can enjoy it at home.
It has been found that consuming tripe helps reduce inflammation and digestive problems.
It also contains high amounts of fiber which promotes healthy digestion.
And lastly, it provides us with essential nutrients like iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin B12, and folate.
So next time when you’re looking for a new meal idea, try making your own callos! Here’s how to make them:
- First, add about 1 cup of water into a pot over medium heat until it boils.
- Then, allow it to boil for 10 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons of salt along with one onion chopped fine and one green bell pepper sliced thin.
- Stir well before letting it simmer for another 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, turn off the stove and pour the contents inside a strainer.
- Let the excess liquid drip away from the tripe while discarding the rest.
- Next, rinse two pieces of tripe thoroughly with cold water after removing the outer layer using a spoon.
- Discard the rest of the water.
- Then chop up the cleaned tripe into small chunks.
- Add the chopped tripe back into the pot and let it cook for another 5 minutes.
- Finally, add ½ pound of minced chorizo, ¼ pound of diced pork belly, ¾ pound of cubed pork loin, ½ pound of diced liver, and ¼ pounds of cubed fatty pork fatback.
- Cook all ingredients together for 15 minutes.
- Now, cover it and let it steam for another 45 minutes.
- Once done, remove everything from the pot except the tripe and discard the remaining liquid.
- Chop up the tripe, arrange it onto a plate, and serve hot.
For more information on recipes, check out these other articles:
- The Best Recipes With Pork Tenderloins
- 10 Healthy Breakfast Ideas For Your Morning Routine
- 15 Easy Ways To Make Instant Pot Meals
- Easy Dinner Recipes Using Chicken Breasts
- Healthy Lunch Box Ideas For Kids
- 20+ Delicious Homemade Pizza Recipes
- 5 Simple Tips On How To Prepare A Meal In Less Than An Hour
You will find that callos are not only delicious but nutritious too!
Are There Any Dangers Associated With Eating Callos?
Tripe has been used since ancient times to prepare food, including being boiled down into a gelatinous texture to add flavor to sauces.
It can also be pickled using vinegar, or fermented by adding salt and other spices.
Tripe was often used in Asian dishes until recently when Westerners began incorporating it into their own recipes.
In fact, some people refer to tripe as the “poor man’s steak,” due to how inexpensive it is compared to actual steaks.
While it isn’t quite as good as real steaks, many chefs have discovered how incredible this ingredient can taste when paired correctly with other ingredients.
Because of its rich, gelatinous consistency, tripe takes longer than normal meats to cook.
However, because of its high iron content, it contains lots of nutrients like protein, calcium, vitamins B12, D, E, K, and Zinc.
Because of its high fat content, however, tripe should only be cooked very briefly before serving so as not to dry it out.
Ingredients
- 5 lbs. Beef Tripe
- 2 Tbsp. Salt
- 1/4 cup Water
- 6 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 large Onion, diced
- 4 bay leaves
- 8 cups water
- 2 tsp. Black pepper
- 1 tsp. Chili powder
- 1/4 cup Parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup Basil, chopped
- 2 tsp. Sugar
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions
Place tripe in stock pot, cover with 2 inches of water, bring to boil over medium heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 3 hours.
Remove tripe from stockpot, place in bowl, and allow to cool completely.
Remove all membranes and veins from tripe, discard them, cut tripe into 1 inch pieces, and set aside.
In small saucepan, combine water, garlic, onion, bay leaves, black pepper, chili powder, parsley, basil, sugar, and olive oil.
Bring mixture to boiling point, lower heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add cooled tripe to pan, return mixture to boiling point, and continue cooking for another 25 minutes.
Strain liquid through cheesecloth, discard solids, pour liquid back into pan, and reheat until thickened slightly.
Serve hot.
How Long Does It Take To Make Callos?
This is one of the few recipes where you will have to cook the tripe yourself.
Tripe can take up to 24 hours to fully tenderize so don’t expect instant gratification when you start cooking it.
It takes about 3-4 hours to prepare the tripe before you cut it into strips and marinate it with the soy sauce, garlic, and onion mixture.
The next step involves sautéing the tripe until all the liquid has been cooked away and the pieces become crispy enough for your taste buds.
Once that happens, it’s time to add the other ingredients like bell peppers, tomatoes, green onions, and jalapeños.
After mixing everything together, it should only take another 45 minutes to an hour for the whole process to finish.
What Are Some Creative Ways To Serve Callos?
In my personal experience, I have never tried this particular type of food before.
But from the few times I ate other forms of tripe like bamiyan, kalbi-style, or even just straight up oxtail soup, I can tell that it tastes pretty good!
I think it would go well with rice, beans, and salad too.
If you don’t eat pork and have no plans to do so anytime soon, feel free to substitute beef liver for the pork belly.
Since there isn’t much information about callos online, here are some tips based off of our own experiences, along with photos.
Note that we haven’t done any scientific testing yet, so your mileage may vary depending on how fresh your ingredients are.
- How to prepare callos
First thing first, you need to get all your ingredients ready.
Tripe is available at most grocery stores these days, either raw or cooked.
This one was found near the frozen vegetables section.
You will also need to marinate the tripe overnight.
We used the following recipe:
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 1/8 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
We cut the tripe into bite-sized pieces, mixed everything together in a bowl with plastic wrap covering them until later.
- Cooking time
The next day, rinse your tripe under cold water, pat dry using paper towel, and place it inside an airtight container.
The tripe should keep around two weeks once refrigerated.
You can cook it immediately after rinsing it, but it takes longer than usual.
For our batch of tripe, we boiled it for 2 hours.
After cooking, let it cool down completely, then chop it finely enough so that it resembles minced meat.
It shouldn’t be mushy though, otherwise it won’t form a dough when rolled out.
After chopping the tripe, pour half of the remaining liquid over it in a large mixing bowl.
Mix it thoroughly by hand.
Add more liquid only if needed.
When the mixture becomes sticky, add the rest of the liquid slowly while stirring constantly.
Once you reach desired consistency, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to chill for 30 minutes.
- Making the dough
Transfer the chilled tripe mixture to a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
Slowly add 1/3 cup water while mixing continuously.
Continue adding more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough starts getting sticky again.
Keep adding additional water if necessary to achieve a smooth texture.
- Baking process
Take the dough and roll it out thinly onto a clean countertop surface.
Use flour sparingly since it helps prevent sticking.
Make sure the dough has a uniform thickness throughout.
Spread evenly the chopped pork fat, followed by the chopped pork.
Then sprinkle finely chopped onion, bell peppers, poblano peppers, and cilantro leaves.
Finally, top it all with sliced avocado.
Roll the dough tightly like a burrito shape.
Cut into 4 equal portions.
Bake each portion at 350 F for 10 minutes per side, flipping halfway through.
Remove from oven, slice into wedges, and serve hot.
Here are some pictures showing the steps above (click to enlarge).
Equipment
- 1 Pot
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef
- 4 pieces Chinese sausage
- 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 can pork
- 6 to 8 pieces sweet peppers
- 1 onion
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorn
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon onions
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
Instructions
- Oil is heated in a cooking pot.
- Sauté the onion once the oil is heated. Once the onions are tender, add the entire peppercorn and continue to simmer.
- Stir in the cooked tripe. Cook for two to three minutes.
- Place the Chinese sausage inside. Cook for two minutes while stirring.
- the tomato sauce into the dish. Including the beef broth Stir. Allow to boil. 30 minutes of simmering under cover.
- Add the beans and meat. Stir. For five minutes, cook.
- The sweet peppers are added. For 4 to 6 minutes, cook.
- Add salt and garlic powder to taste. Stir.
- Put in a serving bowl. Add chopped green onions on top.
- Serve. Enjoy and share!
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Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.