Palestinian stuffed tripe, often called qarsh mahshi, is a home-style dish of cleaned beef tripe filled with rice, ground beef, herbs and warm spices, then simmered until tender. Recipes vary by household and region; this version uses small stitched parcels and a gently spiced broth, so the rice cooks inside the tripe while the meat softens.
Ingredients
- 2 lb (900 g) cleaned, flat beef tripe, preferably blanket tripe, in one or more large sheets
- ¾ cup (140 g) long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained
- 8 oz (225 g) ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced, about ¾ cup (110 g)
- ¼ cup (15 g) finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) fine salt for the filling, plus 1 teaspoon (6 g) for the broth
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 8 cups (1.9 L) beef broth, preferably low-sodium
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
- 2 bay leaves
- About 3 feet (90 cm) food-safe cotton kitchen twine, for tying the parcels
- Water, as needed, for blanching the tripe
Instructions
- Check and prepare the tripe. Ask the butcher for cleaned, flat beef tripe suitable for stuffing; blanket tripe is easiest to cut and sew. Rinse it under cool running water, check both sides for grit or tough dangling edges, and trim away any ragged sections. Cut the sheet into four broad pieces, roughly 7 by 8 inches (18 by 20 cm) if its shape allows. The pieces do not need to be identical. If your tripe is already cut, pair smaller pieces so they can be folded into parcels. Keep raw tripe and its juices separate from ready-to-eat foods, and wash your hands, knife and board after handling it.
- Blanch the tripe. Put the pieces in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, boil for 10 minutes, then drain the tripe and rinse it briefly with cool water. Blanching freshens the flavor and makes the pieces easier to handle; it does not replace the long simmer that makes them tender. Wash the pot before using it again for the broth.
- Mix the filling. In a bowl, combine the drained rice, ground beef, diced onion, parsley, allspice, cinnamon, black pepper, 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt and olive oil. Mix just until evenly combined. The filling is intentionally uncooked: the rice will absorb broth and expand inside the parcels. Do not cook the filling first, and do not pack it tightly.
- Fill and stitch the parcels. Lay a tripe piece smooth-side down. Spoon filling onto one half, leaving a clear border of at least ¾ inch (2 cm) around the edges and plenty of room for the rice to swell. Fold the other half over the filling, then stitch the open sides closed with food-safe cotton twine, making close stitches without pulling so hard that the tripe tears. Tie the ends securely. Repeat with the remaining pieces. If a piece has a hole or a thin spot, place a small trimmings patch over it and sew around the patch, or use another piece of tripe as a lining. Avoid overfilling: parcels should feel full but still close without strain.
- Arrange the broth. Set the parcels seam-side down in the clean pot. Pour in the beef broth and lemon juice, add the remaining 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt and bay leaves, and add enough water to cover the parcels if the broth does not. Bring the liquid just to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. A hard boil can make the parcels knock against each other and loosen their seams.
- Simmer until tender and cooked through. Cover the pot partly and simmer gently for 2 hours 30 minutes, turning the parcels once after about 1 hour if they are not fully submerged. Keep the liquid at a quiet simmer, adding hot water if needed to keep the parcels covered. The tripe should be supple and easy to pierce with a thin knife. Check the center of the thickest parcel with a food thermometer: because the filling contains ground beef, the USDA FSIS safe minimum is 160°F (71°C). If it has not reached that temperature, keep simmering and check again. Do not rely on the appearance of the tripe alone to judge the filling.
- Rest, cut and serve. Turn off the heat and leave the parcels in the broth for 5 minutes. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and let excess broth drain briefly. Snip away the twine carefully, then cut each parcel into thick slices with a sharp knife. Serve warm, with a little broth spooned over the top. Discard bay leaves and any loose twine before serving.
Tips
- Start with properly cleaned tripe. A butcher can usually supply cleaned blanket tripe, which is much easier to stuff than honeycomb tripe. If only honeycomb tripe is available, it can be used in wide, intact pieces, but the pockets may be harder to stitch and the finished parcels can be more irregular. Ask the butcher to leave the sheet as large as possible.
- Use a substitute thoughtfully. If allspice is unavailable, use ¼ teaspoon (about ½ g) each of ground cloves and extra black pepper in place of the teaspoon of allspice. The flavor will be sharper and less rounded. Long-grain white rice is the most dependable choice here; brown rice takes longer to soften and may need more liquid, so it is not a direct swap.
- Leave expansion room. Rice swells as it cooks, and tightly stuffed parcels can split at the seam. Keep the filling loose, leave a wide border and sew the opening closed securely. If you have extra filling, cook it separately in a small covered saucepan with broth rather than forcing it into the tripe.
- Keep the simmer gentle. A rolling boil can break the parcels and make the tripe tough before it softens. Look for occasional small bubbles, not vigorous churning. If the tripe is still chewy after the stated time, continue simmering and check every 15 minutes; thickness and the age of the tripe affect how quickly it becomes tender.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the sliced parcels with their broth as the centerpiece of a meal, alongside warm flatbread for soaking up the liquid. A simple salad of tomato, cucumber, parsley and lemon brings freshness, while plain yogurt or a cucumber-yogurt side gives the plate a cool contrast. Rice pilaf is another suitable accompaniment, though the parcels already contain rice, so a small serving is usually enough. Set lemon wedges on the table for anyone who wants a brighter finish. If serving the broth separately, ladle it into small bowls and make sure each portion includes some of the savory liquid rather than leaving all the broth in the pot.
Variations
There is no single household formula for qarsh mahshi. Some cooks use more herbs, others make the filling with rice and meat in different proportions, and spice combinations can vary. To make this version more aromatic, add ¼ teaspoon (about ½ g) ground cumin or 1 tablespoon (4 g) chopped fresh mint to the filling. For a lighter meat flavor, replace half the ground beef with an equal weight of finely diced onion and parsley; the parcels will be less rich, and the mixture may need an extra tablespoon of rice to hold together. For a deeper broth, simmer the parcels with a small cinnamon stick or a few whole allspice berries, then remove them before serving. If you cannot find flat tripe, ask whether the butcher can provide larger pieces of cleaned beef stomach; smaller pieces can be overlapped and stitched, but expect more seams and handle them gently.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate cooked tripe within 2 hours of cooking. Store the parcels with enough broth to keep them from drying out in a covered container, and use within 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze the cooked parcels in broth in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator rather than on the counter. To reheat, place the parcels and broth in a covered saucepan and warm gently until steaming throughout. Check the center with a food thermometer; USDA FSIS guidance is to reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C). Add a splash of water or broth if needed, and avoid a hard boil, which can split the tripe. Reheat only the portions you plan to eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Palestinian stuffed tripe called?
It is often called qarsh mahshi, meaning stuffed tripe in Arabic. Names and exact recipes can differ among families and communities, so the filling and seasoning are not identical everywhere.
Where can I buy tripe that is ready to stuff?
Try a butcher that handles beef offal, or a Middle Eastern grocery with a meat counter. Ask specifically for cleaned, flat beef tripe in a large sheet, rather than pre-cut strips or honeycomb pieces. If the butcher can trim it but leave it whole, sewing the parcels is much easier.
Can I prepare the parcels ahead?
You can mix and stuff them up to one day ahead, then keep them covered and refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or colder until cooking. Keep the raw parcels separate from other foods and cook them promptly. The recipe’s total time assumes the filling and parcels are prepared immediately before simmering, rather than including an overnight hold.
How do I know when the tripe is tender?
It should bend easily and yield when pierced with a thin knife, without feeling rubbery or tough. Tenderness can take longer if the pieces are thick or the simmer has been too low. Continue cooking in 15-minute increments, and separately confirm that the ground-beef filling has reached 160°F (71°C) with a thermometer.
Can I make this without sewing the parcels?
Sewing gives the rice room to expand while keeping the filling inside. If you do not have food-safe cotton kitchen twine, small food-safe skewers can secure the edges, though they may be less reliable and should be removed before slicing. Do not use ordinary thread, which is not intended for cooking.
Can I use broth from cooking the tripe in another dish?
Yes. Strain it and refrigerate it promptly if you are not using it right away. It will have a savory, gently spiced flavor, although its intensity depends on the broth and the tripe. Remove any bay leaves and loose bits, and bring the broth to a simmer before serving it with the parcels.
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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes
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