Goto

Goto is a popular Filipino rice porridge made of tripe. This, together with arroz caldo and lugaw  is a comfort food since it not only warms your belly, but also enlivens your spirit.  Often served  hot,  this  Filipino version of congee is such a delight to eat. It is very filling and can be eaten during breakfast, lunch, merienda, dinner, or as a  snack before going home after partying in the wee hours of the morning. :)

Although Filipinos are very familiar with goto’s taste, we don’t really give much attention to its health benefits, particularly tripe’s health benefits. Do you know that 3.5 oz serving of  beef tripe according to Livestrong.com  provides  11.7 g of protein, or 18 percent of the 65 g Food and Drug Administration daily value and 4 g of fat, or 6 percent of the 65 g daily value; and 1.4 g saturated fat, or 7 percent of the 20 g daily value. This same amount of serving provides 81 mg calcium (for healthy bones and teeth), or 8 percent of the 1,000 mg FDA daily value, 1.7 mg of zinc (for prostate health) or 11 percent of the 15 mg FDA daily value, 11.8 mcg of selenium (to neutralize toxins from the body) or 17 percent of the 70 mcg daily value. Not bad for a  simple, yet delicious and satisfying meal. 

Always make sure that the tripe is very tender when about to be served. A pressure cooker is a must when making this recipe, unless you opt for slow cooking which would take several hours of waiting yet produces the most tender tripe. If you are  like me  who wants to save time and electricity (plus the hungry tummies already at standby mode :) ), then the pressure cooker is definitely your bestfriend.  Don’t forget to save all the broth from the boiled tripe since most of the goto’s flavor will be from this flavorful liquid.

Pair it with lumpia, siopao, puto, or  beef and vegetable samosa and you will definitely be pleased. I am content eating goto on its own but I always have a second serving.:)  Aside from the spring onion and garlic as topping, you can also add crumbled chicharon (pork cracklings) and hardboiled eggs. Yum!

Leftover goto freezes well. Just thaw, then reheat. Add water as needed. Another addition to your freezer meals. : )

Goto

Yield: 5-7 servings

Ingredients:

600 grams tripe, cooked in pressure cooker for 45 minutes or until tender, then cut into 2-3 inch long strips, inch wide)

stock/water from tenderized tripe

1 ½  cup uncooked glutinous rice

1 ½  cup uncooked white rice

2 inch ginger, cut into strips ( 2 Tablespoons)

1 onion, sliced thinly

3 cloves garlic, minced plus more for topping

1 cube chicken bouillon

3 Tablespoon patis (fishsauce)

1 teaspoon (or more) black pepper

1 bunch green onion for garnish

cooking oil

Directions:

1. Heat 2 Tablespoons oil. Saute ginger, garlic, and onion.

2. Add tripe, glutinous rice, and white rice.  Stir for a few minutes.

3. Add about 6 cups of stock/water.  Simmer while stirring occasionally.

    Add more water as needed.

4. When mixture is simmering, mix in bouillon cube, black pepper plus 3 Tablespoons patis.

5. Cook until rice is tender. Add in more water a cup at a time. Mix well.

   (I had to add 2 more cups.)

6. Top with green onion and fried garlic.