Goto Recipe

Goto is one of the many variants of Filipino congee or as colloquially known, lugaw. This rice porridge is made with glutinous rice and beef tripe simmered in a ginger-based broth. It’s a delicious one-bowl meal commonly peddled in the Philippines as a filling midday snack or as a light lunch.

Cooking with tripe, or any innards for that matter, can be daunting for the uninitiated and the non-enthusiasts. It’s barnyard odor is understandably off-putting to most but prepared right, tripe can prove to be a versatile ingredient. It’s cheap, nutritious and its chewy yet velvety texture makes it a delight in various dishes such as soups, stews and stir-fries. With dressed tripe readily available in most supermarkets, preparing this cut of meat has been never been easier. There are also a few steps I apply to further improve the quality of my tripe and thus, the quality of my goto.

• The readiness of the tripe depends on the extent it was cleaned in the butcher shop. Bleached tripe, for example, is usually soaked in chlorine (accounting for the white color) to kill bacteria naturally found in the animal’s digestive tract. Although the cleanest, it requires extensive rinsing to remove the chemical’s aftertaste.
• Soak the tripe overnight in cold water and vigorously rub with salt to rid of any grit or partially-digested food particles. Tripe is the cow’s stomach lining, for Pete’s sake!
• Blanch the tripe in salted water to dispel of foul smells and tastes that may otherwise seep into the final broth.
• Add a couple of beef bones along with the tripe to give the broth more depth and body.
• Simmer the tripe with aromatics such as garlic, onions, peppercorns and ginger. Not only does ginger tame the tripe’s funky smell but by time the goto is pulled together, the broth is already nicely infused with all the necessary flavors.
• Although I use regular long grain rice in my arroz caldo, I prefer glutinous rice in goto. This sticky variety results to a porridge that’s more thick and creamy.

Ready? Let’s goTO!

Goto

Prep Time: 24 hours

Cook Time: 5 hours

Yield: 6 to 8 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound beef tripe
• rock salt (to clean tripe)
• 1 cup glutinous rice
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 2-inch ginger, peeled and julienned
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 6 to 7 cups broth (reserved from cooking the tripe)
• salt and pepper to taste
• fried garlic bits
• green onions, chopped
• calamansi or lemon, cut into wedges
For the Broth (along with tripe)
• 2 to 3 pieces beef bones
• 8 cups water
• 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper corns
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 thumb-size ginger, cut into half and pounded

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine tripe and enough cold water to cover. Soak in refrigerator overnight. The next day, drain well. Generously apply salt on tripe and vigorously rub on surfaces. Rinse well under cold, running water and repeat for about 2 or 3 times.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, combine 1 liter of water and 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil. Add the tripe and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well, discarding liquid. Rinse pot.
3. In the pot, combine the parboiled tripe, beef bones and about 8 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, skimming scum that floats to top. When broth has cleared, add garlic, onion, ginger, and pepper corns. Lower heat, cover and cook for about 3 to 4 hours or until desired tenderness. Add more water as needed to maintain about 7 cups. Remove tripe. Using a fine mesh sieve, strain broth. Reserve liquid and discard bones and aromatics. Allow tripe to cool to touch and slice into 1/2-inch thick x 2-inch long strips.
4. In a pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions, garlic and ginger and cook until limp. Add tripe and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add fish sauce and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring regularly, for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil, skimming any foam that may float to top. Lower heat, cover and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until rice grains are softened and have burst. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Ladle congee into serving bowls and garnish with chopped onions and fried garlic bits. Serve hot with calamansi wedges.