Recipe: Mondonguito a la Italiana

There are meals that were created to be enjoyed in a family setting, when the table is full and the noise is loud.

Peruvian food has hundreds of recipes that describe this feeling perfectly.

A very popular recipe is Mondonguito a la Italiana, which can be considered by many a variation of the traditional Peruvian Cau Cau. (You can learn this recipehere)  

Check out: LOS ANDES FOODS TEQUEÑOS STD P.C. 12 UNID

The origin of Mondonguito a la Italiana

Like many recipes in modern Peruvian cuisine,Mondonguito a la Italiana has its beginnings thanks to immigrants.

In the late XIX Century, Italians arrived at Peru and started spreading some of their most popular dishes; but they had to adapt to what they could find.

This resulted in meals such as the one you’ll learn to cook here. 

This recipe has a preparation time of 25 minutes and a cooking time of approximately an hour, and it serves 6 portions. 

Ingredients for Mondonguito a la Italiana

• ½ kg ofMondonguito beef (tripes and stomach in cubes) (1 pound approx) 
• 200 gr. of green peas, washed (7 oz approx)
• 1 kg of medium size white potatoes, washed and skinless, ready to fry 
• 1 large raw carrot
• 1 big red tomato, skinless
• 1 big onion, raw
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic cloves or garlic powder (you can get ithere.
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil or olive oil
• 1 laurel leaf (optional for decoration)
• Parmesan grated cheese to taste
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• White, fluffy cooked rice as a side dish 

Preparation

• The first and probably most important step of this recipe is to wash theMondonguito thoroughly scraping with a knife all of the excess sebum you find in the beef.

• Once theMondonguito is clean take a large pot and place it inside with plenty of water and salt. Bring the pot to a boil and turn down the heat when the meat is soft but it doesn’t shred apart easily. 

• Take theMondonguito out off the pot and slice it 2 inch pieces. Place the pieces in a bowl and set aside. 

• Take a medium size pot with water and salt and bring it to a boil, then add the carrots and peas and let it pre-cook for 20 minutes. After this, stir the vegetables and rinse them with cold water. 

• Cut the carrot in julienne and set aside in a bowl along with the green peas. 

• Take the potatoes, washed and skinned, and chop them in long and thin pieces. Place them in a bowl full of cold water until it’s time to fry them. 

• Take the tomato and onion and cut them julienne (from the longest side).
• Take a large skillet and pour vegetable oil or olive oil, put it on high heat for about a minute.

• When the skillet is hot, place the onion finely chopped and the garlic minced or garlic paste. Wait until the onion turns transparent and then add the tomato, theMondonguito beef and the laurel leaf, along with salt and pepper to taste. Let the mix fry up for a couple of minutes. 

• Add the carrots and green peas. Add just a bit of water to the skillet to cover the ingredients. Cover up the skillet and let it on medium heat and check regularly so that the mix doesn’t dry up. The dish must have just a bit of juice. 

• Take a medium skillet and pour vegetable oil or olive oil on high heat, pour the potato slices to fry them. Place them over a paper towel to absorb the grease. 

• Check the meal’s flavor and add more seasoning if necessary. Turn off the fire and add the potatoes. Let the mix sit for a while so that the potatoes absorb the flavor.     

Check out: KOSMOS GOURMET PANCA PEPPER PASTE

One of the most classic ways to accompany theMondonguito a la Italiana is with a side of white, fluffy rice.

You can even place a bed of rice and then add theMondonguito on top for a more gourmet presentation.

To top this meal, just sprinkle as much grated Parmesan cheese as you like and let it melt with the heat of the dish. 

This recipe is perfect for a family gathering, with the delicious ingredients and an unexpected Italian twist you’ll charm everyone who tries it.