Philadelphia Pepper Pot

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Pepper Pot is a thick soup of beef tripe, vegetables, pepper and other seasonings.

[edit] History

The soup is said to have been created during the winter of 1777-1778, when Washington's army was down to tripe, peppercorns and various scraps of other food. The cook devised this dish and named it in honor of his hometown, Philadelphia. ^[1]

[edit] Recipe

A basic Pepper Pot recipe is:

• 2 quarts water
• veal or beef bone
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 whole onions
• 2 pounds honeycomb tripe, well washed
• 4 potatoes, diced

Bring water, bone, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt and onions to a boil. Add the tripe and reduce heat. Simmer for at least 2 and 1/2 hours.

Remove the veal bone, bay leaves, peppercorns and onion. Take out the tripe, then slice into paper thin strips and mince crosswise. Skim the fat off the top of the stock and return the tripe to the pot and add the diced potatoes. If the soup is too thick, add boiling water to thin. Allow to simmer until ready to serve. It is suggested that the soup simmer for hours in order for the tripe to be as tender as possible.