Here’s a traditional Menudo recipe — a hearty, flavorful Mexican soup made with beef tripe and hominy, perfect for a weekend meal or special occasion 🍲
🥘 Menudo (Mexican Tripe Soup)
Ingredients (Serves 6–8)
- 2–3 lbs (900–1,350 g) beef tripe, cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 lb (450 g) beef feet or shank (optional, for richer broth)
- 2 cans (15 oz each) hominy, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2–3 bay leaves
- 2–3 tbsp chili powder or Mexican red chili flakes (adjust to heat preference)
- 1 tsp oregano
- 6–8 cups water (or more, depending on pot size)
For serving / garnishes:
- Chopped onions
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Dried oregano
- Crushed red pepper or chili flakes
- Warm corn tortillas
Instructions
- Clean the tripe thoroughly
- Rinse under cold water and remove any unpleasant odor.
- Optional: boil in water for 10 minutes, drain, and rinse again.
- Cook the tripe and beef shank/feet
- In a large pot, combine tripe, beef shank/feet, onion, garlic, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Cover and cook 2.5–3 hours until tripe is tender.
- Add hominy and seasonings
- Add drained hominy, chili powder, oregano, and adjust salt and pepper.
- Simmer another 30–45 minutes.
- Adjust thickness (optional)
- If you want a richer broth, mash a few hominy kernels and stir back in.
- Serve hot
- Ladle soup into bowls.
- Serve with garnishes: chopped onion, cilantro, lime wedges, oregano, and chili flakes.
- Accompany with warm corn tortillas.
Tips & Variations
- Red Menudo: Add a blended red chili sauce (like guajillo or ancho) for a vibrant red color and extra flavor.
- Simpler version: Skip the beef feet; tripe + broth + hominy still makes a great soup.
- Slow cooker: Can cook tripe and beef shank on low for 6–8 hours.
If you want, I can also give a quick 1.5-hour version of Menudo that’s almost as flavorful but saves cooking time without compromising taste.
Do you want me to give that version?
