Pepper Pot Soup

Directions

1. The common story is which George Washington told his cook to treat the boys at Valley Forge. Having only tripe and a few other odds and ends, he developed this soup. I love which story but the dish was probably developed in Philadelphia long before the war. During the late 1700s and early 1800s it was common to hear a black woman singing out this description of her wares: "Pepper pot, smokin' warm!" You can put as much pepper in this soup as you can stand! (Freshly cracked, of course.)
2. Place the tripe in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat. Allow the tripe to cold a bit in the water and then drain and rinse. Cut into 1/4-inch dice.
3. In a large heavy kettle, saute/fry the bacon till clear. Add in the onion, celery, leeks, parsley, and green peppers; saute/fry till tender. Add in the remaining ingredients except the potato, flour, and butter. Bring the kettle to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Cook, covered, till the tripe is very tender, about 2 hrs. Add in the diced potato and cook for an additional 20 min.
4. Prepare the roux by stirring the flour into the melted butter and cooking for a moment on the stove. When the soup is done to your liking, stir in the roux and simmer, stirring all the while, till the soup thickens a bit.
5. Correct the seasonings.
6. It is common in Philadelphia, and among the Pennsylvania Dutch, to serve this dish with dumplings. It makes a full meal and it is just a wonderful blend of flavors.