Callos a la madrilena
Photo: Javier Lastras from España/Spain · CC BY 2.0

History

Callos a la madrilena emerged in the 19th-century working-class tabernas of La Latina and Lavapies. The dish takes cheap cuts (beef tripe, ham hock, pig's foot) and turns them into a slow-cooked stew with the Spanish offal canon (chorizo, morcilla). The first written Madrileno recipe appeared in Angel Muro's 1894 El Practicon cookbook. The dish became a winter staple; Casa Lucio, Lhardy and Casa Ciriaco all serve canonical versions. The trick is the cleaning: tripe must be soaked, scrubbed and parboiled multiple times before the slow-cook stage. Modern Madrid kitchens like Sala de Despiece and Casa Mono still serve callos as a winter signature.

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Common allergens: None typical

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 45 minTotal 5 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1.5kg beef tripe, pre-cleaned
  • 300g pig's trotter (manitas de cerdo), pre-cut
  • 200g cured ham bone (hueso de jamon)
  • 200g cooking chorizo Iberico (not cured), sliced thick
  • 150g morcilla de Burgos, sliced
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 200g tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp sweet pimenton (smoked paprika)
  • 1 tsp hot pimenton
  • 100ml olive oil
  • Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Soak the tripe in cold water for 2 hours. Scrub it thoroughly. Cut into 3cm squares.
  2. Place tripe and pig's trotter in a large pot. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil, drain. Repeat twice; this purges the offal aroma.
  3. Return the parboiled tripe and trotter to the pot with the ham bone. Cover with fresh cold water plus the bay leaf. Simmer for 3 hours until very tender.
  4. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan. Sweat the onion and garlic over low heat for 12 minutes until soft.
  5. Add the chorizo and morcilla. Saute 5 minutes until the fat renders.
  6. Stir in the tomato puree, sweet pimenton and hot pimenton. Cook 3 minutes more.
  7. Drain the tripe (reserve 500ml of the cooking broth). Add tripe to the chorizo pan with the reserved broth. Simmer covered 45 minutes more.
  8. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve bubbling in clay pots with crusty bread.

Tip from the editors. The triple parboil is essential; without it the tripe carries a strong offal aroma. Use a heavy-bottomed pot to prevent scorching during the long final simmer.

Where to eat callos a la madrilena

Callos a la madrilena in Madrid

Casa Lucio ★ 4.4

€€ Madrileno TabernaLa Latina

Casa Lucio on Cava Baja in Madrid's La Latina has cooked the huevos rotos (broken eggs over fried potatoes) since 1974. Kitchen leans madrileno taberna.

OrderThe huevos rotos on a bed of fried potatoes, then a half-portion of the solomillo or the cocido.

TipBook ten days ahead by phone; Casa Lucio rarely takes online reservations. Ask for the downstairs dining room when you book.

Directions Book

Lhardy ★ 4.5

€€ SpanishCentroUntil 01:00 (consome counter)

Lhardy on Carrera de San Jeronimo in Madrid has poured consome from a silver urn at its downstairs counter since 1839; the post-theatre crowd still drops.

TryConsome from the silver urn

TipWalk-in only at the downstairs counter. Consome runs 4 euros, eaten standing. Upstairs dining room closes 23:00.

Directions

Casa Ciriaco ★ 4.3

€€ Madrileno TabernaCentro

Casa Ciriaco on Calle Mayor in Madrid has served the gallina en pepitoria (hen in almond and saffron sauce) since 1929, three steps from where Alfonso XIII.

OrderThe gallina en pepitoria with rice and the callos a la madrilena. Half-bottle of house Valdepenas.

TipClosed Wednesdays. The Tuesday and Thursday cocido is the surest order; the dining room is full of regulars by 14:30.

Directions Book

Casa Toni ★ 4.2

€ Spanish tapasCentro

Casa Toni near Sol in Madrid serves the offal canon at counter prices: oreja a la plancha 6 euros, callos 8, cana 2.50; the whole working-day lunch.

TryCallos, oreja, cana

TipCash only. Walk-in only at the standing-room bar. Closed Wednesdays. The bar is full by 13:00.

Directions

Taberna Antonio Sanchez ★ 4.3

€€ Madrileno TabernaLavapies

Taberna Antonio Sanchez on Calle Meson de Paredes in Madrid's Lavapies has run since 1830, with bull-fighting paintings on the wall, the rabo de toro.

OrderThe rabo de toro with patatas and the callos a la madrilena. A jug of Vino de Pitarra to share.

TipClosed Sunday evenings and Mondays. Book three days ahead for the dining room; the bar takes walk-ins.

Directions

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