A yellow Peruvian criollo stew where tripe, potatoes and hierbabuena take center stage. It is saucy and cohesive, with properly cooked ají amarillo, tender potato cubes and the fresh herbal aroma that makes cau cau unmistakable.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Check the precooked tripe and cut it into roughly 2 cm cubes if the pieces are larger. Peel the white potatoes and cut them into similarly sized cubes, then remove the seeds and thick veins from the ají amarillo. Keep the hierbabuena whole until needed so it retains more of its aroma.
Heat a small portion of the oil in a medium pot and cook a small portion of the ground garlic for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the white rice, stir for 1 minute, then add part of the water and salt. Once it boils and the liquid drops almost to the level of the rice, cover and cook over low heat for 12 to 14 minutes, until the grains are tender and no free water remains; turn off the heat and keep it covered.
Blend the ají amarillo with a small portion of the water, using only enough to make a smooth paste. Heat the remaining oil in a large pot and cook the red onion over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes, until very soft and translucent. Add the remaining ground garlic for 1 minute, then stir in the blended ají, cumin, turmeric, black pepper and another portion of the salt; cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the aderezo is thick, glossy and no longer smells of raw ají.
Add the tripe to the aderezo and cook for 4 minutes, stirring so every cube is thoroughly coated. Add the potatoes, the remaining water, another portion of the salt and half of the hierbabuena, lightly bruised between your hands. Once it comes to a boil, lower to medium-low heat and simmer partially covered for 18 to 22 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, the tripe is soft and the liquid has thickened slightly without drying out.
Chop the remaining hierbabuena, stir it in with the remaining salt and cook for just 1 minute, enough to release its aroma without losing freshness. The cau cau should be saucy and lightly thickened, with enough liquid to coat the potatoes, neither dry nor watery. Serve immediately with the white rice on the side. And that's it! If the first aromas are hierbabuena and ají amarillo and the potatoes still hold their shape, it came out just right 😌
