Menudo
intro
Hearty, slow-simmered stew of tender honeycomb tripe, plump hominy, and aromatic red guajillo chile, served with bright fresh garnishes for cozy comfort.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep and blanch tripe
Rinse the 900g cleaned honeycomb tripe thoroughly under cold running water, scrubbing all textured crevices to remove any residual debris. Cut tripe into uniform 2.5cm (1-inch) square pieces, then place in a large 8L stockpot, cover with cold water by 5cm (2 inches), and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Boil for 10 minutes, then drain completely and rinse tripe with warm water to wash away any grey scum from the surface.
Simmer tripe base
Return the blanched, rinsed tripe to the clean stockpot, pour in 2000ml low-sodium beef broth, add the quartered half of the white onion, 6 crushed garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, and 1 tbsp of the kosher salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat (maintain ~93°C/200°F, with only small bubbles occasionally breaking the surface), partially cover the pot, and cook for 2.5 hours, skimming any surface foam every 30 minutes, until tripe is easily pierced with a fork.
Make chile puree
While the tripe simmers, place the 6 seeded, stemmed guajillo chiles in a small heatproof bowl, pour over 240ml boiling water, and set aside to soak for 20 minutes until fully softened. Transfer rehydrated chiles and 120ml (0.5 cup) of the soaking liquid to a countertop blender, blend on high speed for 1 minute until completely smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove tough skin particles, discarding the leftover solids.
Combine chile and seasonings
Once the tripe is fork-tender, use tongs to remove and discard the cooked quartered onion pieces and bay leaves from the pot. Stir in the strained guajillo chile puree, 2 tbsp dried Mexican oregano, 1 tbsp ground cumin, remaining 0.5 tbsp kosher salt, and 1 tsp ground black pepper. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon to fully incorporate the chile base into the broth, creating a rich reddish-orange color.
Add hominy and finish
Stir the 850g drained, rinsed white hominy into the stew, return to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, and cook uncovered for an additional 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to fully meld and the hominy to heat through completely. Taste the broth and add extra salt if needed to balance flavors.
Serve with fresh garnishes
Ladle the hot, finished menudo into wide, deep soup bowls. Top each serving with a sprinkle of the reserved finely diced white onion, chopped fresh cilantro, and optional red pepper flakes. Arrange lime wedges on the side of each bowl for diners to squeeze fresh lime juice over the stew before eating.
Tips
2.For authentic flavor, seek out Mexican oregano rather than common Mediterranean oregano: Mexican oregano has a bright, slightly citrusy, earthy profile that pairs perfectly with the guajillo chile base, while Mediterranean oregano is more bitter and piney.
3.Menudo’s flavor deepens and improves after 1-2 days in the refrigerator, making it an ideal make-ahead meal. Store cooled leftovers in a sealed airtight container for up to 4 days, and reheat gently over low stovetop heat, adding a splash of broth if it thickens too much.
Y’all, I made this for our Sunday family dinner after my cousin begged for menudo for his birthday, and it was a HIT. I was nervous about cleaning the tripe right but the step-by-step tips made it so easy. SO good, even my picky 10 year old asked for a second bowl. 10/10 will be making this once a month from now on.
Great flavor! I prepped a big batch on Sunday for meal prep and it held up all week in the fridge, the hominy didn’t get mushy at all which I was worried about. Only knock is I wish the recipe noted how strong the tripe smell is while cooking—my whole apartment smelled like it for two days, lol. Still delicious though!
OMG I’ve never made menudo before and I was so intimidated, but this recipe came out perfect!!! I made it for my boyfriend who grew up eating his abuela’s menudo and he said it tasted just like home. Game changer, I feel like a real cook now 🥹
Brought this to our office potluck last week and people were literally going back for thirds. Multiple coworkers asked for the recipe before they even finished their first bowl. The red chile base is so deep and flavorful, not watery at all like the canned menudo I’ve bought before. 10/10.
Loved the depth of flavor here! I added an extra arbol chile because I like my menudo with a bigger kick, and it was perfect. Only thing is I had to cook the tripe about 20 minutes longer than the recipe said to get it to that perfect tender, not chewy texture. Wondering if that’s normal?
My abuela used to make menudo every New Year’s Day but she never wrote down her recipe, so I’ve been chasing that flavor for years. This is the closest I’ve ever gotten!!! The hominy to tripe ratio is exactly how she made it, and the chile blend is spot on. I cried a little when I took the first bite, no joke.
Made this for my roommate’s birthday hangover and he swears it cured him in 20 minutes flat lmao. We added all the toppings: lime wedges, chopped onion, cilantro, dried oregano, crushed red pepper, the works. Only issue I had was finding the right dried chiles at my local grocery store, had to run to the bodega in Queens to get them.
I’ve been making menudo for over 20 years and I was skeptical of an online recipe, but I tried this on a whim when my usual recipe felt off. Let me tell you, toasting the chiles before blending them? GAME CHANGER. I never did that before and it adds such a deeper, nuttier flavor to the broth. I’m never going back to my old method!
I made this a couple months ago for my family and it was AMAZING, easily the best menudo I’ve ever made at home. Quick question though! I want to make a big batch for my kid’s soccer team potluck this weekend, but a couple of the kids don’t eat red meat. Can I swap the tripe for something else, or would that ruin the flavor?