Dec 06, 2004
This recipe is pretty basic. The 1st thing I learned about menudo from my mom was "throw" the tripe (always honeycomb tripe) into the sink, cover with water, put in a lot of sliced lemon and let it soak for at least an hour. The 2nd was to use lots of garlic. I generally buy, from a Mexican market, 9-10lbs of the honeycomb, 2 patas (beef feet) cut into pieces and use about 4 heads of garlic - the cloves peeled & sliced
into lengthwise slivers. The lemon gets discarded, the tripe (unrinsed) cut into small pieces, put into my trusty 16qt pot, along with the beef feet and about 1 to 1 1/2 chopped onions. I also put in some chopped green pepper - a bit of bell and poblano - - about the equivalent of half a bell pepper.
After it comes to a boil, I change it to simmer and do NOT dump the cooking water. When a lot of fat has accumulated, I skim it off, using the fat skimmer and then add the oregano, salt 'n pepper. After a couple hours, in goes goes the hominy. It continues simmering for a couple more hours, or until it's nice 'n tender and not rubbery.
I grew up accustomed to "white" menudo and did make the red menudo once - not again. We prefer the white. I will add crushed red pepper flakes to my bowl, however! And sometimes some salsa. (that does not equate to red menudo in my mind!)
—PIMIENTA2
