How to make Menudo

Featuring:
Rumba Meats® Beef Honeycomb Tripe

8-10 Servings

Original Blog & Recipe by
Vianney Rodriguez

Hi, I'm Vianney Rodriquez, founder, recipe developer and South Texas foodie behind Sweet Life. The recipes on Sweet Life are inspired by my exploration of childhood memories and the global food culture that makes up South Texas. Sharing time in the kitchen with my daughters ensures that the traditions of my family in Mexico are passed down to the next generation. I can always count on Rumba Meats to provide me the highest quality cuts of meat.

See more of my recipes

Menudo

Menudo is a classic Mexican soup that is traditionally served during the holidays, and especially at Christmas-time. It’s also known as a hangover remedy here in Texas, where the popular soup is served at many local Tex-Mex restaurants on Sundays.

Menudo

Menudo is packed full of one of my favorite ingredients, hominy. These plump, juicy kernels have such an amazing texture and they take on the flavor of whatever broth you add them to, making them the perfect addition to any soup or stew.

As a child, I remember my mami would spend hours prepping her ingredients and tending to the menudo pot all night. She served her menudo with onions, cilantro, limes and fresh bolillos, which she placed on the table next to our steaming bowls of menudo.

Serving Menudo Your Way

Bolillos are the perfect vehicle for soaking up all of the delicious menudo broth, and my abuelito’s favorite. I loved watching him dip pieces of fresh, warm bread into his soup, and to this day, I still eat my menudo the same way.

My mother-in-law serves her soup a little differently. Instead of bolillos, she places crisp saltines on the table. My husband grew up eating menudo with saltines and it’s still his favorite way to enjoy a big steaming bowl of this classic Mexican soup.

Menudo is a dish passed down from generation to generation, that picks up new traditions as it is shared. We each have our own way of enjoying this special dish. The memories that we make while eating it are part of what draws us to cook it again and again.

Menudo 2

Menudo (Tripe Soup) with Rumba Meats

For this recipe, we’re using Beef Honeycomb Tripe, the star ingredient in any good menudo recipe. This dense, chewy meat is loved by many and has a unique texture that perfectly absorbs the rich flavor of our soup.

For best results, you want to use only the freshest, highest-quality cuts of meat. That’s why I’m using Beef Honeycomb Tripe from Rumba Meats. Their tripe comes pre-cleaned and ready to use. It’s also stored in airtight bags that you can easily freeze for later use.

You can visit any Kroger store in the state of Texas to find Rumba Meats products. They also carry beef cheek, skirt steak, sweetbreads, beef tongue and many more cuts of meat for traditional Mexican cooking.

Directions

Rinse sliced tripe well, drain. To a large pot add tripe, beef feet, garlic, onion, salt, bay leaf and oregano. Cover with water, water should be at least 2 inches above trip at all times. Cover and bring to a boil, skim off foam, reduce heat and continue cooking for at least 3 hours, until tripe is tender. While tripe cooks make red chile sauce.

Toast chiles on a dry skillet 10-15 second on each side. They will puff slightly and become pliable. Place in a bowl and pour boiling water over them, cover and allow to soften, about 10 minutes. Once softened drain, add to a blender along with garlic cloves, salt and beef broth. Blend until smooth. Strain over simmering pot. Stir to combine, season with salt if needed. Add drained hominy, continue simmering for additional 30 minutes. Serve warm garnished with dice onion, lime wedges, chicharrons, and bolillos.

Here’s a short video how easy it is to make Menudo at home with Rumba Meats:

Ingredients

Rumba Meats® Beef Honeycomb Tripe (3 pounds)
3 pounds of Beef Honeycomb Tripe from Rumba Meats, cut into 1-inch strips
1 package Rumba® Beef Feet
1 small head of garlic, unpeeled
1 onion, peeled and sliced in half
3 teaspoons salt, divided
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoon oregano
4 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
3 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups of beef broth
1-2 (15 ounce) cans hominy, drained, rinsed

For serving:

Lime wedges
Diced onion
Crackers
Bolillos
Chicharrones

Recipe Notes

Red chile sauce can be made a day in advance.

Instructions

Rinse beef honeycomb tripe well, drain. Slice tripe into 1-inch strips.
To a large pot, add tripe, beef feet, garlic head, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, bay leaf and oregano. Cover with water. Water should be at least 2 inches above tripe at all times.
Cover and bring to a boil, skim off foam, reduce heat and continue cooking for at least 3 hours until tripe and beef feet are tender and reach an internal temperature of 160ºF.
While tripe cooks, make red chile sauce: Toast chiles in a dry skillet for 10 to 15 seconds on each side. They will puff slightly and become pliable.
Place toasted chiles in a bowl and pour boiling water over chiles, cover and steam to soften, about 10 minutes.
Once softened, drain, and add to blender along with 2 cloves garlic, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and beef broth. Blend until smooth. Strain red chile sauce over simmering pot. Stir to combine. Season with salt to taste.
Add drained hominy and continue simmering for an additional 30 minutes.
Serve warm garnished with choice of diced onion, lime wedges, crackers, chicharrons, and bolillos.