8 pounds honeycomb tripe, rinsed and cut into 1-inch squares
5 pounds beef tripe, rinsed and fat trimmed
5 tablespoons kosher salt, or to taste
Broth Ingredients:
2 pounds beef feet (patas), quartered
3 large yellow onions, diced
3 small heads of garlic, unpeeled
16 peppercorns
5 teaspoons Mexican oregano, dried
2 bay leaves
15 quarts water
Red Chile Sauce:
4 dried Arbol chiles
10 dried Guajillo chiles
2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons ground cumin
Additional Ingredients:
2 cans (6 pounds 9 oz each) white hominy, drained
Instructions:
Cleaning and Preparing the Tripe:
Trim any excess fat from the tripe to prevent the broth from becoming greasy.
Cut the tripe into one-inch squares and soak in a large pot filled with water for two hours, replacing the water halfway through to reduce any unwanted odors and impurities.
Making the Red Chile Sauce:
De-stem and de-seed the Arbol and Guajillo chiles.
Toast the chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds or until they become fragrant.
Cover the toasted chiles with water and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, adding a halved onion and 3 peeled garlic cloves to infuse additional flavors.
Remove the chiles, onion, and garlic from the water and blend with ground cumin and a cup of hot broth from your menudo pot until smooth. Add more broth if needed to achieve a pourable consistency.
Strain the chile sauce through a sieve to remove any seeds and skins, discarding the solids. Refrigerate the sauce until needed.
Cooking the Menudo:
In a large stockpot, combine the prepared tripe, beef feet, diced onion, unpeeled garlic heads, peppercorns, kosher salt, Mexican oregano, bay leaves, and water.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 2 hours, or until the tripe and beef feet are tender but still hold their shape.
Remove the garlic heads and discard them.
Stir in the hominy and red chile sauce, and continue to simmer the menudo for another 3 hours on low heat. This long simmering will meld the flavors beautifully.
Adjust seasoning with additional salt as needed.
Serving:
Serve the menudo hot, garnished with chopped onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime if desired.
Accompany with warm corn tortillas or a loaf of crusty bread for a hearty meal.
Notes:
Menudo is traditionally served as a weekend or festive dish due to its lengthy preparation time, making it a special treat.
Enjoy this rich and flavorful soup as a celebration of traditional Mexican cuisine.
