Guatita (Ecuadorian Tripe Stew with Peanut Sauce)

  • Total time - 2 hours 45 minutes
  • Prep - 20 minutes
  • Cooking Tripe - 2 hours
  • Stew Simmering - 25 minutes
  • Servings: 6
  • Country: Ecuador
Rich, yellow Guatita stew in a bowl, served with white rice, avocado slices, and Curtido salad.

Although Guatita might seem unconventional at first, its rich and creamy peanut sauce makes it one of Ecuador's most beloved dishes. The key is to thoroughly clean the tripe and cook it for a long time until it is perfectly tender.

The sauce gets its typical color from achiote (annatto) oil or powder, and its thickness from the potatoes, which are partially mashed.

Ingredients

For the Tripe (Guatitas)

  • 1 kg beef tripe (mondongo), thoroughly cleaned
  • as needed lime juice and salt (for cleaning)
  • 10 cups water (for boiling)
  • 4 pieces garlic cloves, crushed
  • 5 pieces cilantro sprigs (whole)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin

For the Sauce (Salsa de Maní)

  • 3 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 2 cups whole milk (for peanut paste and sauce)
  • 0.5 cups peanut butter (natural, unsweetened) or peanut paste
  • 2 Tbsp achiote oil or vegetable oil plus achiote powder
  • 0.5 cups red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 pieces garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp ground cumin

For Serving

  • cooked white rice
  • to taste avocado, sliced
  • to taste curtido (onion salad)

Instructions

Step 1: Clean and Cook the Tripe

Thoroughly clean the tripe – rub it with lime juice and salt, let it sit for a while, and rinse. Repeat 1-2 times until completely clean.

In a large pot, boil the tripe with 10 cups of water, 4 crushed garlic cloves, 5 cilantro sprigs, 1 tsp cumin, and a pinch of salt.

Bring to a boil and simmer covered for about 2 hours (or 1 hour in a pressure cooker) until the tripe is very soft and tender. Remove the tripe, dice it into small pieces, and set aside. Reserve 2 cups of the broth.

Step 2: Prepare the Peanut Paste and Refrito

Mix the peanut butter with 1/2 cup of milk until a smooth, pourable paste forms. Set aside.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the achiote oil. Add the red onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, and cook until softened (about 5 minutes) – this is the refrito.

Add oregano, 1 tsp cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for a minute until fragrant.

Step 3: Create the Sauce and Stew

Add the diced potatoes, diced tripe, and the reserved broth (2 cups). Bring to a boil.

Add the remaining 1.5 cups of milk and the peanut paste. Mix well.

Reduce the heat and simmer covered for about 20–25 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened. If the sauce is too thin, you can gently mash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot to release starch.

Step 4: Serving

Guatita is served hot. It is traditionally ladled over white rice. Generously garnish each serving with sliced avocado, curtido salad (red onion, tomato, cilantro, and lime juice), and optionally a fried egg.