Menudo: the delicious main dish recipe for traditional Mexican soup

It might be an acquired taste for some, but for many, it’s considered a satisfying, hearty meal. Menudo is a Mexican main dish and is a type of soup made with beef tripe (cow’s stomach), spices, and hominy.

Honeycomb tripe which comes from the second stomach, or the reticulum, is the most popular option for Menudo. It’s more tender and also needs a shorter cooking time in comparison to others.

Menudo has a few variations depending on what region you live in and can be called pancita (meaning little gut or stomach), mondongo, or mole de panza (meaning stomach sauce.) The texture is spongy, and the flavor is spicy and hearty!

What Is Menudo?

Menudo is a Mexican soup made with honeycomb tripe (from the cow’s second stomach), spices, and hominy.

There are two main types of Menudo— Rojo and Blanco. Rojo is most popular: it’s spicy and includes dried chiles. Menudo Blanco doesn't include any dried chile or pepper, although jalapeno is sometimes added.

How To Make Menudo

Before cooking, the tripe first needs to be prepared. Start by washing the tripe thoroughly in warm water. Place it in a large bowl and sprinkle with lime juice and salt. Rub the salt and lime juice into the tripe, then allow to stand for 30 minutes. Wash the tripe again in warm water.

Trim the fat from the trips and slice into 1-inch cubes. Boil the tripe for about 25 minutes, then rinse. Add it back to the pot, together with 4 cups of water, onion, garlic, salt, fresh herbs, spice, beef stock, and boiled tripe. Boil for 20 minutes, add the guajillo sauce and hominy cook and cook for another 10 minutes.

Tips For Making The Best Menudo

Menudo is traditionally starch-thickened. If you find the sauce too thin, you can thicken it with a combination of flour and butter.

If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can use 2 tsp oregano.

Serve with fresh limes, chopped onion, and dried oregano.

Can You Make Filipino Menudo?

Filipino Menudo is a heart pork stew made with pork and sliced liver, fresh tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and garbanzo beans. It's usually served with steamed rice!

How To Store and Reheat Menudo

Store the menudo in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Reheat the menudo in the microwave for a few minutes.

More Recipes You'll Like

• Florentine Tripe
• Pozole
• Mexican Rice

Instructions

Clean the tripe with warm water, salt, and lime juice.

Trim the fat around the edges of the tripe, and slice into 1-inch cubes.

Add it to a pot with boiling water and cook for about 25 minutes.

Drain the water and rinse the tripe. Set aside.

Using a large pot, add the 4 cups of water, onion, garlic, salt, fresh herbs, spice, beef stock, and boiled tripe.

Bring to a boil, and allow to cook for 20 minutes.

Add the guajillo sauce and hominy cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve with fresh tortillas.

Notes

Can’t find guajillo sauce in a store near you? Make your own! Start by removing the seeds from 2 pasilla peppers and 2 guajillo peppers. Boil them for 10-15 minutes, then drain, and blend them together with one clove of garlic, salt, pepper, onion, and cumin. Blend until smooth.