It’s Not A Boy Band

Today I’m going to write about one of the most emotionally charged foods in the world! It’s one of those dishes that people either love or hate, and it even raises an eyebrow or two. The only other popular food that may illicit the same response is probably Haggis. If you guessed Menudo you are correct! Here in the Southwest, Menudo is a staple on the weekends and many tout it as a hangover cure. One thing remains constant and that is the fact that people either love it or hate it. For those who have never had the Menudo experience , it’s a Mexican soup made with tripe and hominy. Garlic , onions, chili and Oregano are also added in the cooking process, then cilantro and chopped green onions are placed on top as a garnish and you may squeeze a little lime if so desired.

In Mexico, the northern part of the country claims to have invented the dish, but Ecuador and other parts of Mexico also claim it as their invention. Many cultures around the world use tripe, but in my experience Menudo in Tucson has been raised to an art form. One thing is for certain, you’ll know the difference between great and awful Menudo! So I hope I’ll be able to help you on the road to making yours delicious. There are many variations, two of the basics are simply red and white. White is actually a clear broth and red is cooked using a broth that has Arbol and Jopones chili’s ground up and cooked into the broth. Today I’m going to be giving you a recipe for white that I really like and it’s easy to make though a little time consuming , but worth the wait in my opinion. If you want to make a red, which is spicier, just add a couple red chili’s of your choice chopped or ground up during the simmering process.

I know many of you are thinking yuck, no way, never! Yet here’s a few things to think about. Menudo has a very nutrient dense profile. Menudo has Zinc and Selenium, both help the bodies immune system. Choline is also abundant in Menudo which helps the liver to function. Then there are the vitamins and other minerals such as, iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus , niacin and B12. There is also fiber in the hominy. Remember this is how we ate many years ago. It can be argued that people were healthier before the industrial revolution and the advent of prepared foods. I’m not saying modern medicine isn’t a good thing, but our modern diets could be much better by simply cooking foods from scratch. If you’d like to give it a try, follow the recipe below.

• White (Blanco) Menudo
• The important thing to remember is to wash the tripe and veal knuckles very well! Some will soak the tripe in a lemon water solution for an hour then rinse throughly. I rinse the tripe and veal knuckles under cold running water using my hands to rub each piece until I feel they’re good and clean. Cut tripe into 1 inch pieces.
• 1-2 lbs of Veal knuckle cleaned and rinsed
• 2-3 lbs of honeycomb tripe cleaned and rinsed throughly!
• 3-4 heads of garlic, keep intact and remove any loose skin, place whole into pot.
• 1-2 onions cut in half
• 1 whole green chili or Jalapeño
• 4 cups fresh or canned hominy
• In this recipe salt isn’t added till later in the cooking process or when serving. This is done because tripe takes a long time to cook and salt toughens it while cooking.
• These ingredients are added after cooking white menudo. ( traditionally you want the broth as clear as possible). Oregano, chili flakes or powder, salt and pepper to taste, (some will add these ingredients while cooking, but from what I’ve been told this will no longer make it white menudo as the broth will become cloudy)
• Fesh squeezed lime (optional)
• Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and green onion
• In a large pot at least 6 quarts, add the veal knuckles and tripe.
• Add water to cover and about 3-4 inches over the meat.
• Toss in the onions, garlic and jalapeño and bring to a boil.
• Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
• Add the hominy and more water if necessary. Bring to a light boil, covered ,until tripe is translucent and hominy is soft and opened. 2-3 hours, maybe longer.
• Skim any foam or fat that may come to the surface.
• Stir every 20-30 minutes
• * At first the soup may smell a little strong while cooking, open a window and continue cooking, soon your kitchen will be smelling delicious.
• Remove the veal bones taking off the meat and returning the meat to the pot, discard the bones.
• Remove the onion, garlic and chili
• At this point you may add salt to taste. Note: it may take more salt than you think because of the hominy, especially if using fresh. Be careful and only add a tablespoon at a time.
• Ladle into bowls and garnish to your taste.
• Serve with fresh warm tortillas or bread and enjoy!

If there’s one dish that’ll take you out of your comfort zone, Menudo could be it. However, I think once you try it you’ll be surprised at the flavors and textures and how well they blend together. If you have a good Mexican restaurant in your town ask if they make Menudo. Then try a bowl first to see if you’ll like it before committing yourself to making a large pot. Menudo freezes well and will last 3-6 months in the freezer or up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Like most soups I think it’s better the next day. As always experiment with the recipe and make it your own. You may like the red style better or more or less hominy. If you have a Menudo story please tell us in the comment box below. Love it or hate it we would like to know. As always any questions will be answered as soon as possible. Enjoy your Sunday and until next time, Boone Appétit!