Menudo 1

Recipe
Menudo is a flavorful Mexican stew that is made with Tripe. Check out the original recipe here!

Ingredients
2 lbs tripe (Sheep's stomach, cow's stomach, etc.) 2 pig trotters (foot)

for braising liquid 10 C water 1 large onion slices 1 head garlic smashed stems and roots of 5 cilantro plants 1 tbs black peppercorns 2 bay leaves 1 tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp Mexican oregano 4 small spicy red chilies (I used Japanese ones) 3 Tbs kosher salt (halve if using table salt) 2 Tbs vinegar

for menudo 4 oz dried guajillo chilies 3 C white hominy 2 Tbs vinegar 2 Tbs sugar 2 cloves garlic minced 1 tsp Mexican oregano 1/2 tsp ground cumin

Instructions
f your tripe has been bleached (white color), soak it in a couple changes of cold water for a few hours to get rid of the chlorine smell. If you are using unbleached tripe (grey or greenish brown), thoroughly clean it under cold water and remove any extra fat on the smooth side.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil then add the tripe and trotters. Boil for about 5 minutes then drain, discarding the water, and wash the tripe and foot clean of any brown gunk that’s collected on the surface.

Wash the pot out and return the cleaned tripe and trotter to the pot then add all the ingredients for the braising liquid. Cover and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and simmer for 3 hours. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Remove the tripe and brush off any spices or brown stuff. Slice it into 1/2″ x 2″ strips. Remove the trotters, clean and strip off the meat and tendon then roughly chop. Strain the stock through a double mesh strainer into a bowl and press on the solids. Wash out the pot and add the chopped tripe and trotter back into the pot.

Place the oven rack in the lower middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. Tear the guajillo chilies open, discarding the stems and seeds. Flatten the chilies on a foil lined baking sheet then spritz with cooking spray. Put the chilies in the oven for about 5 minutes or until you start smelling sweet and peppery, be careful not to burn them. Remove them from the oven and cover with very hot tap water and allow them to rehydrate (about 15-20 minutes).

Drain the chilies and put them in a blender with about half the stock. Puree until smooth, adding more stock if needed. Strain the chili mixture through a double mesh strainer into the pot with the tripe and trotters. Once you have strained the chili mixture, pour the rest of the stock through the strainer into the pot, pressing on any remaining solids.

If you are using frozen hominy, measure out 3 cups into the pot. If you are using canned hominy, wash and soak in cold water to get rid of the “canned” taste. Add the rest of the menudo ingredients, lightly salt to taste and simmer uncovered for about an hour, until the tripe has taken on the color of the chilies and the soup is nice and thick. Check once last time for salt and augment if needed.

It’s best if you let it sit overnight for the flavours to mingle, but you can also eat it right away. Serve with tortillas, chopped sweet onions, cilantro and lots of lime.