Patsas - Greek Tripe Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 kg tripe, beef
1/2 cup olive oil
2 onions, cut in chunks
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine
water
500 g tomatoes, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 sticks cinnamon
4 whole cloves
fresh ground black pepper
sea salt

Preparation

Cut tripe into small squares or rectangles.
In a large saucepan, preheat olive oil over medium heat. When hot, saute onions, garlic, and the tripe.
Dilute the tomato paste with the red wine and stir until completely blended.
Add fresh tomatoes to the pan, the tomato paste and wine, and enough water to cover. When it reaches a boil, reduce heat to a simmer.
Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper to taste. Simmer for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, adding more (boiling) water as the soup reduces.
Cooking time will depend on the tripe and the soup:.
Tripe is done when it pulls apart easily.
The soup should be thick (not as thick as a stew, but not watery).
10 minutes before cooking time is up, add sea salt to taste.
Serve with red pepper flakes on the side for those who like it hot.