Ingredients
Meat and Broth
- 6 lbs Beef Honeycomb Tripe, chopped into 2-inch pieces
- Water, enough to cover about 6 inches above meat
- 1 whole onion, cut in half
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cow's feet (optional)
Red Chile Sauce
- 8 chile guajillo, stem removed, deveined, and seeded
- 3 chile de árbol, stem removed, deveined, and seeded
- Pinch whole cumin
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 onion
- Salt, to taste (approximately 2 tablespoons for the sauce and meat)
- 2 cups water (for soaking and blending chiles)
Additional Ingredients
- 6 cups Hominy, rinsed
- Diced raw onion (for serving)
- Chopped cilantro (for serving)
- Lime wedges (for serving)
- Chile de árbol (for garnish or added heat)
Instructions
- Prepare the Tripe: Rinse the beef honeycomb tripe thoroughly under cold running water to remove any impurities.
- Start the Broth: In a large stockpot, add the cleaned honeycomb tripe, 1 whole cut onion, 5 garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, and cow's feet if using.
- Add Water: Pour enough water into the pot to cover the meat about 6 inches above the surface.
- Boil and Simmer: Cover and bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer for 2½ hours, allowing the meat to become tender.
- Prepare Red Chile Sauce: In a smaller stockpot, add the chile guajillo and chile de árbol, cover with water until fully submerged.
- Cook Chiles: Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let them sit for 5 minutes until softened.
- Blend Sauce Ingredients: Transfer the soaked chiles, 1/4 onion, 2 garlic cloves, pinch of whole cumin, and salt into a blender.
- Add Chile Water: Add about 2 cups of the water used to soak the chiles to the blender to help blend smoothly.
- Blend Smooth: Blend all ingredients until a smooth, vibrant red sauce forms.
- Remove Aromatics from Broth: Carefully remove the whole onion halves and bay leaves from the large stockpot with the tripe.
- Add Red Sauce to Broth: Pour the blended red chile sauce and 2 tablespoons of salt into the tripe pot.
- Scrape Blender: Add 1 cup of water to the blender to rinse out remaining sauce and pour it into the main pot to maximize flavor.
- Add Hominy: Rinse the hominy and add it to the tripe and sauce mixture.
- Simmer Soup: Stir all ingredients well, cover, and let simmer gently for an additional 30 minutes to meld flavors.
- Serve: Ladle menudo into bowls and serve hot, garnished with diced raw onion, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and additional chile de árbol if desired.
Notes
- Beef honeycomb tripe should be cleaned thoroughly before cooking to remove any odor or impurities.
- The cow's feet are optional but add extra richness and gelatin to the broth.
- Adjust the salt according to taste; the recipe suggests about 2 tablespoons for the sauce and meat combined.
- Soaking and blending the chiles freshly is key to achieving deep, authentic flavor.
- Hominy must be rinsed well to remove any canned preservatives or dust.
- Cooking times may vary depending on the tripe tenderness; simmer until tripe is tender and flavorful.
- Menudo is traditionally served with lime wedges and chopped fresh cilantro to brighten the dish.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
