Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Hakka Pork Tripe and Chicken Soup
客家豬肚雞
Recipe overview
This peppery soup softens the tripe first, then adds chicken so the meat does not overcook. The home version uses tripe strips rather than stuffing a whole chicken into the stomach.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 500 g Raw pork stomach, initially cleaned
- 600 g Bone-in chicken pieces
Soaking
- 30 g Coarse salt (For scrubbing, rinsed away)
- 30 g Cornstarch (For scrubbing, rinsed away)
Soup seasoning
- 8 g Cracked white peppercorns
- 30 g Ginger slices
- 2.5 L Water
- 5 g Salt
02
Tools
- Large soup pot and blanching pot
- Scissors, knife and raw-meat board
- Slotted spoon and ladle
- Food thermometer and washing bowl
03
Steps
Step 1
Separate raw ingredients
Keep chicken refrigerated; place tripe in a deep bowl to contain raw juices away from other food.
Step 2
Turn and trim
Turn the stomach inside out and trim visible fat and debris; never use washing detergent.
Step 3
Scrub the stomach
Rub inside and outside with 30 g coarse salt and 30 g cornstarch for about 3 minutes, then discard the loosened slime.
Step 4
Rinse thoroughly
Rinse under a low stream until the surface is no longer slimy and no starch or salt remains; clean the sink and bowl.
Step 5
Blanch tripe
Place tripe in a separate pot of fresh water, boil for 5 minutes once boiling starts, and discard the blanching water.
Step 6
Scrape and slice
Cool until safe to handle, scrape away remaining white membrane and cut into strips about 2 cm wide.
Step 7
Start the pepper broth
Bring tripe, white pepper, ginger and 2.5 L water to a boil in the soup pot and skim foam.
Step 8
Simmer the tripe
Leave the lid slightly ajar and simmer gently for about 65 minutes; add a little boiling water only if the level becomes low.
Step 9
Add chicken
When the tripe begins to soften, add chicken, return to a gentle boil and skim foam.
Step 10
Cook chicken through
Simmer about 25–30 minutes until the thick meat of the largest chicken piece reaches 75°C near the bone without the probe touching bone.
Step 11
Check and season
A chopstick should pierce the tripe. If still tough, remove cooked chicken before simmering tripe longer; add 5 g salt at the end.
Step 12
Ladle and serve
Return chicken to the soup and heat through, then divide tripe, chicken and pepper broth among bowls; watch for small bones.
Common mistakes
- Salt scrubbing does not replace thorough cooking.
- Adding chicken at the start can leave it dry.
- A hard boil evaporates too much broth.
- Timing alone may leave tough tripe.
Tips
Tripe thickness and supplier preparation affect tenderness, so 105 minutes is an estimate; extend cooking if needed and remove chicken first to prevent overcooking. Lightly crack peppercorns instead of grinding them to keep the broth from becoming excessively peppery and cloudy.
