Mexican Menudo Recipe + VIDEO

This menudo recipe comes from the good State of Durango. iArriba Durango!

🍲 What is Menudo?

Menudo is a Mexican stew made of beef tripe, or cow’s stomachs. It is cooked in a red chile broth with hominy and served in large bowls. Topped with lime juice, onion, cilantro, and oregano.

It is one of Mexico’s most traditional recipes just like Pozole Rojo, Birria de Res, Chile Verde. Dishes with organ meats can be an acquired taste.

🌶️ How to Make the Red Chile Sauce

• Remove stems from the dried chile pepper 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.

If you do not add the red sauce, this dish is called menudo blanco, or white menudo.

Other Names

• Menudo is the most common name for this dish. Depending on where you come from in Mexico, some people call it “Pancita” or “Mondongo.”
• My family is from the state of Durango in Norther Mexico. Since this is an authentic menudo recipe from my family’s hometown, we also add hominy and a red chile sauce.

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

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

The sauce is NOT spicy because there is a lot of water in the pot. The chiles will add a robust and deep flavor to the tripe soup.

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

How to Get Rid of the Smell

Tripe (or pancita de res) has a distinct smell. Luckily, there are several ways to minimize the smell.

Tips to Reduce the Smell:

• Put the tripe in a large stockpot.
• Cover with water.
• Add juice of 2 limes, or 4 tablespoons of white distilled vinegar.
• Let sit in the fridge for at least 1 to 1 ½ hour. Discard water. Continue with recipe.

OR

• Put the tripe in a large pot.
• Cover with water and bring to a boil.
• Turn heat off.
• Add 4 tablespoons white distilled vinegar and 2 garlic cloves.
• Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Discard water. Continue with recipe.

🥣 How to Cook Honeycomb Tripe

For Stovetop:

• Cut tripe into small pieces. About 2 inch pieces.
• Place the tripe inside a large stock pot.
• Add onion, garlic, and bay leaf. This is when to add the beef feet (or pigs feet), if using.
• Cover with water (4 inches above the meat), and let simmer for 2 ½ hours.

For Instant Pot:

• Cut tripe into small pieces.
• Place the tripe inside the instant pot.
• Add onion, garlic, bay leaves, and add water to max level. Also add beef feet (or pigs feet), if using.
• Add lid, move valve to SEALING, press High Pressure 50 minutes, full natural release.
• When done, change to a bigger pot. You also need to add 4 cups beef broth when adding the sauce and hominy.

For Slow Cooker:

• Cut tripe into small pieces.
• Place tripe inside the slow cooker along with onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Add beef feet (or pigs feet), if using.
• Cover with water.
• Set on low for 6 hours.
• When done, change to the biggest pot you own. When adding the sauce and hominy, also add 4 cups beef broth.

• Take out the whole onion, garlic, bay leaves from the pot.
• Using a strainer, strain the red sauce and add the white hominy to the pot.
• Cook for another ½ hour.

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

👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips

• The Mexican tripe soup will be ready in no time if cooked in the instant pot.
• 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 menudo healthy or unhealthy? Believe it or not, menudo is good for you. 1-cup of serving has 210 calories and 13 grams of lean protein.

🫙 Storing Instructions

• Store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge until ready to consume. In the fridge, Mexican Menudo will last 3-4 days. It actually tastes better when it’s reheated.
• Place in a sealable plastic bag and remove as much air as possible. Thaw before reheating. 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.
• Do not leave the stew at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or bacteria will start to multiply and FAST.

💡 Ideas for Toppings

• Raw, diced white onion
• Chopped cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Dried Mexican oregano
• Crushed Chile de Arbol or New Mexico Chile. Crush it open slightly, and put it in your soup bowl 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 chewy 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 meant to feed a large crowd. It’s a delicious dish that’s perfect for special occasions and family gatherings.

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