Sopa de Pata

Before you start

• Clean the proteins aggressively to neutralize their distinct odor.

  Place the cow's feet and tripe in a large bowl in the sink, add the white vinegar, baking soda, and coarse salt, and scrub vigorously with your hands for a minute before letting them rest for 15 minutes and rinsing thoroughly under cold water.

Ingredients

• cow's feet2 lb
• honeycomb beef tripe1 1/2 lb
• white vinegar1/2 cup
• baking soda1 tbsp
• coarse salt1/4 cup
• white onion1/2 med
• garlic cloves4 med
• dried oregano1 tbsp
• salt1 tbsp
• water10 cup
• dried Guajillo chile1 med
• dried Ancho chile1 med
• sesame seeds2 tbsp
• hulled pumpkin seeds2 tbsp
• unsalted raw peanuts2 tbsp
• bay leaves2 med
• dried thyme1/2 tsp
• whole cloves3 med
• achiote powder1 tbsp
• Roma tomatoes3 med
• green plantain1 med
• yuca1 med
• ears of corn2 med
• chayote squash1 med
• Mexican grey squashes2 med
• green cabbage1/4 med
• fresh mint1/4 cup
• fresh cilantro1/4 cup
• white onion1/2 cup
• fresh cilantro1/2 cup
• jalapeños2 med
• limes4 med

Method

1. 01

   Pressure cook the cleaned proteins with aromatics until meltingly tender.

   Place the cleaned feet and tripe into an electric pressure cooker along with the water, half onion, smashed garlic, oregano, and salt, then cook on high pressure for 50 minutes and let the pressure release naturally.

2. 02

   Toast the chilies, seeds, and spices to build the relajo base.

   In a dry skillet over medium heat, briefly toast the Guajillo and Ancho chilies until fragrant but not burnt, remove them, then toast the sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, bay leaves, and whole cloves until the sesame seeds pop and turn golden brown.

3. 03

   Blend the toasted relajo ingredients into a smooth paste.

   Combine the toasted chilies and seed mixture in a blender with the raw quartered tomatoes, achiote, thyme, and a cup of water or hot broth, blending on high until entirely smooth.

4. 04

   Strain the relajo directly into the finished meat broth to infuse it with a deep, smoky brick-red hue.

   Once the meat has finished pressure cooking, open the pot and aggressively press the blended relajo through a fine-mesh strainer straight into the hot liquid, discarding the gritty husks left behind.

5. 05

   Blend half of the raw plantain with hot broth to naturally thicken the soup.

   Take half of your chopped green plantain, blend it entirely smooth with a cup of the hot red broth, and pour this slurry back into the pot so the soup binds and thickens beautifully instead of remaining watery.

6. 06

   Simmer the heavy vegetables in the broth.

   Switch the pressure cooker to its sauté function to maintain a steady boil, then add the yuca, corn rounds, and remaining plantain chunks, simmering for 15 minutes.

7. 07

   Stage the remaining vegetables so nothing turns to mush.

   Add the chayote and boil for 5 minutes, followed by the squashes, cabbage wedges, mint, and cilantro sprigs, cooking for a final 5 to 7 minutes just until the zucchini is tender and the cabbage is cooked but still retains a slight bite.

8. 08

   Garnish aggressively with fresh picada and serve immediately.

   A bowl of Sopa de Pata demands the sharp, acidic contrast of diced onion, chopped cilantro, jalapeño, and copious squeezes of lime to cut through the rich, unctuous collagen.

Notes

• Respect the bay leaf limit.

  Do not use the entire handful of bay leaves that comes in a commercial relajo packet; limit it to exactly two leaves, or the excess will make the broth unpleasantly bitter.

• Sourcing the right squash.

  Authentic pipián is a pale green Mesoamerican squash, but if you cannot find it in a standard supermarket, Mexican grey squash or regular green zucchini are perfect substitutes.