Menudo (or Pancita) + VIDEO

Sunday mornings in Mexico always started the same way – with a big pot of Menudo. In Durango, the entire city would practically shut down.

Even the kids would go inside to spend time with their families and less time outside playing fútbol.

Church was a must. Maybe a walk later around the Plaza de Armas for a paleta or a visit to a relative who might or might not know that we were coming over (“Surprise!”).

What is Menudo?

Menudo is a Mexican stew made of beef tripe (or stomach). It is cooked in a red chile broth with hominy and topped with lime, onion, cilantro, and oregano. It is one of Mexico’s most traditional stews just like Pozole Rojo, Birria de Res, Chile Verde.

How to Cook Honeycomb Tripe:

The Menudo meat, or Pancita de Res, has a distinct smell, and there are several ways to minimize the smell.

Tips to Reduce the Smell of the Honeycomb Tripe:

• Put the tripe in a large stockpot.
• Cover with water.
• Add juice of 2 limes.
• Let sit in the fridge for at least 1 to 1 1/2 hour. Discard water. Continue with recipe.

Instead of lime, you can also use 2 tablespoons vinegar.

OR

• Put the tripe in a large stockpot.
• Cover with water.
• Bring to a boil.
• Turn heat off.
• Add 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar and 2 garlic cloves.
• Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Discard water. Continue with recipe.

If you are using the same pot as when you were trying to take the smell away, you will need to WASH the pot. The odor lingers.

Different Ways to Cook Tripe:

For Stovetop:

• Place the honeycomb tripe inside the pot
• Add onion, garlic, and bay leaves.
• Cover with water (4 inches above the meat), and let simmer for 2 ½ hours.

For Instant Pot:

• Place the honeycomb tripe inside the pot
• Add onion, garlic, bay leaves, and add water to max level.
• Add lid, move valve to SEALING, press High Pressure 45 minutes, full natural release.
• Note: Change to a bigger pot. You also need to add 4 cups beef broth when adding the sauce.

For Slow Cooker:

• Place tripe inside the pot along with onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Cover with water.
• Set on low for 6 hours.

If you don’t live anywhere close to a Mexican market, buy Beef Honeycomb Tripe online.

How to Make the Red Chile Sauce

• Remove stems and cover with water.
• Bring to a boil and turn off heat.
• Let sit in the hot water for 5 minutes to rehydrate the chiles.

The Name Game:

“Menudo” is the most common name for this dish. Depending on where you come from in Mexico, some people call it “Pancita.” In other countries, people also call it “Mondongo.”

In some parts of Mexico, the recipe for Menudo, or Pancita, would stop right here. This is an authentic Menudo recipe from Northern Mexico.

In Durango and several northern states, we also add hominy and a red chile sauce.

Note: If you do not add the red chile sauce, it is then referred to as “menudo blanco,” or “white menudo.”

• Add all the sauce ingredients to a blender.
• Blend until smooth.

To make the red chile sauce, we needs lots of guajillo chile and chile de árbol.

Don’t worry. The sauce is not spicy. Remember that there is a lot of water in the big pot.

The chiles will add a robust and deep flavor to our tripe soup.

Fun Fact: Because it’s such a hearty soup, some people also refer to it as a hangover cure.

• Take out the whole onion, garlic, bay leaves from the pot.
• Add the red sauce to the pot and cook for another ½ hour.

It is not hard to make this dish. It just takes a long time. Look for ways to cut your cooking time.

Tips for Easy Cooking:

• Make this recipe in an instant pot. The Mexican tripe soup will be ready in no time.
• Make the chile sauce ahead of time. You can make it days before, or use frozen sauce from months ago.
• Cook the tripe a day, two days, even three days before.
• Ask the butcher to chop the tripe for you.

Is Mexican menudo healthy?

Believe it or not, menudo is good for you. 1-cup of serving has 210 calories and 13 grams of lean protein.

How Long does it last?

In the fridge, Mexican Menudo will last 3-4 days. It actually tastes better when it’s reheated.

In the freezer, it lasts 3-4 months. It will have lost some of its freshness and texture, but the taste will still be there.

Ideas for Toppings:

• Raw, diced white onion
• Chopped cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Dried oregano
• Crushed Chile de Arbol or New Mexico Chile

Some people will serve dried chile de árbol, crush it open slightly, and put it in their soup bowls for some extra heat.

What does it taste like?

Menudo tastes like a robust, red chile stew with rich flavors. The tripe itself is mild in taste but has a texture of clams or calamari. There are yummy bites of corn hominy and an earthiness from the broth.

This is truly the best Menudo recipe, if I say so myself. It is pure Mexican comfort food. Perfect for special occasions and large family gatherings.

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