A traditional Mexican dish often prepared communally, menudo is time consuming to make. This is because tripe, the stomach lining of cows, must be boiled for hours to ensure tenderness. For these reasons the preparation is often reserved for weekends or made as a special occasion dish. Menudo’s origins are with poor peasant farmers in Mexico who used every part of butchered livestock. There are regional variants of menudo in Mexico—one being menudo blanco (white) which uses jalapeño and green chilies in place of red chili peppers. It is believed that menudo is a good cure for symptoms of a hangover. In 1930s Arizona, migrant workers regularly held menudo parties to celebrate births, Christmas and other occasions. An annual Menudo Festival takes place in Santa Maria, California.
Recipe Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 3 gallons water, divided
- 2½ lbs beef tripe, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 large white onion, finely chopped
- 1½ Tbsp salt
- 1 Tbsp ground black pepper
- 1½ Tbsp dried oregano
- 2 Tbsp ground red pepper
- 5 de arbol chili peppers
- 6 japones chili pepper, seeds removed
- 6 cups canned white or yellow hominy, drained
- ½ white onion, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
- 2 limes, juiced
Directions
- Bring 1 gallon of water to a boil in large pot.
- Add tripe to pot, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours.
- Skim fat off periodically with spoon.
- Drain water, reduce heat and pour in a fresh gallon of water. Continue to simmer tripe for 2 hours. Drain.
- Pour remaining gallon of water into pot with tripe and bring to a boil.
- Stir in garlic and one white onion.
- Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper.
- Reduce heat and simmer one hour.
- Preheat oven broiler.
- On baking sheet, place de arbol peppers and broil 2 minutes, until just beginning to scorch.
- Remove from heat and cool until able to handle. Slit peppers lengthwise and remove seeds.
- In blender or food processor, blend de arbol chilies and japones chili peppers until very finely chopped.
- Mix chili pepper mixture into pot and cook for 60 minutes.
- Serve with remaining onion, cilantro and lime juice.
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