A homestyle Peruvian tripe stew: tender honeycomb tripe and diced potatoes simmered in a golden turmeric-and-aji amarillo sauce, brightened with mint and served over rice.
Cau cau is a criollo classic of Afro- and Asian-Peruvian Lima — diced tripe stewed with potato, turmeric and mint into a gentle, golden stew. Frugal and beloved, it is a fixture of the working-day menú del día.
Warm and golden, with a gentle aji amarillo glow and the earthy hum of turmeric. The tripe is springy yet tender, the potatoes soft and saucy, and a hit of fresh mint makes it surprisingly bright. Comfort food with character.
Long pre-boiling breaks down the tripe's collagen for tenderness, while turmeric and aji amarillo paste form an aromatic golden sauce that the potatoes thicken with released starch.
Variations
Cau cau de mariscos (seafood), cau cau de pollo (chicken), or de mondongo variations.
On the Palate
Where Cau Cau sits in the Peruvian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · 20 min
- 130 min
Boil the tripe with aromatics until very tender, then dice.
Watch outPre-boil the tripe until it's really tender before dicing — rush this and no amount of simmering later fixes the chew.
- 25 min
Saute onion, garlic and aji amarillo paste into a sofrito.
Watch outFry the onion, garlic and aji amarillo slowly into a soft sofrito — that cooked-down base carries the whole golden sauce.
- 31 min
Stir in turmeric to deepen the golden color.
- 42 min
Add the diced tripe and toss to coat.
- 52 min
Pour in a little broth and add cubed potatoes.
- 612 min
Simmer until the potatoes are soft and the sauce thickens.
Watch outSimmer until the potatoes go soft and start shedding starch — that's what thickens the sauce to a golden cling.
- 71 min
Stir in chopped mint and parsley at the end.
- 82 min
Serve over white rice.
