Menudo Soup Recipe

You don't have to be Mexican to love Cinco de Mayo. Here are some traditional foods to have at your fiesta. Sure you would be able to find some you like and be able to celebrate. Menudo Soup picture

Summary

Prepration Time30 MinutesCooking Time120 Minutes

Difficulty LevelBit DifficultServings8

CuisineMexicanCourseSide Dish

SpecialityPart of MenuMain IngredientAlcohol

Recipe Story

Cinco De Mayo is celebrated more enthusiastically by Mexican descendants in the United States than in its native Mexico. The day celebrates the victory of the Mexican Army versus the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Often it is mistakenly called Mexican Independence Day. Mexico had actually declared its independence on September 16, 1810, fifty years earlier.

Ingredients

1 calf's foot (about 1 to 1½ pounds) 2 pounds honeycomb tripe

1 large onion 3 cloves garlic, peeled

6 peppercorns 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

4 quarts of water 3 large chiles anchos

A large chili poblano, peeled, or 2 canned, peeled green chiles ½ cup canned hominy (1 pound) drained

Salt as necessary 1 scant teaspoon oregano

2 pounds honeycomb tripe

3 cloves garlic, peeled

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

3 large chiles anchos

½ cup canned hominy (1 pound) drained

1 scant teaspoon oregano

How to make Menudo Soup

Ask the butcher to cut the calf's foot into four pieces. Cut the tripe into small squares and put them into a large pan. Cover with the water and bring to a boil. Lower the temperature and simmer, uncovered for about 2 hours, or until the tripe and foot are just tender but not too soft. Meanwhile, toast the chilies. Then slit them open and remove seeds and the veins from the chili poblano, cut into strips. Add to the meat while it is cooking. Remove the pieces of calf's foot, cool to handle, then strip off the fleshy parts. Chop roughly and return them to the pan.

Pour in the hominy, cooking the menudo slowly, uncovered, for an additional 2 hours. Add salt to taste. Sprinkle with oregano and serve in large, deep bowls.