Mexican Tripe Soup (Menudo) Recipe

By
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone is a writer who develops approachable recipes for home cooks. Her recipes range from Grandma’s favorites to the latest food trends.
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Updated on 06/2/21
Soup with honeycomb tripe and hominy in broth with chile guajillo base

bonchan / Getty Images

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 3 hrs 20 mins
Total: 3 hrs 40 mins
Servings: 8 to 10 servings

Menudo is a classic spicy Mexican dish that is made with tripe, veal bones, and hominy soup. It is traditionally prepared as a family and is served at communal gatherings. It's also touted to be a cure for hangovers and is often served on New Year's Day or after a night of revelry. Menudo takes time to make since the tripe needs to cook for a few hours until tender, but it's worth it for this traditional comfort food.

Hominy is field corn soaked in an alkali solution until puffed twice its normal size. It is sold dried and (as called for in this recipe) canned. It has a uniquely chewy texture that holds up well in soups. Look for it in the canned vegetable aisle or with the international ingredients, often sold with other Mexican items.

Honeycomb tripe, the most tender cut of the cow's stomach, is recommended for this recipe. This soup is a good excuse to visit your local butcher, since tripe and veal knuckle are available but might require a special request. Call ahead if you're not sure.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds honeycomb tripe, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 1/2 pounds veal knuckle

  • 6 cups water

  • 3 medium onions, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed

  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 (15-ounce) can hominy, undrained

  • Pequin chiles (or more crushed red pepper, to taste)

  • Lime wedges, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a large Dutch oven, place tripe, knuckle, water, onions, garlic, salt, coriander, oregano, crushed red pepper, and black pepper.

  3. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 3 hours, or until tripe has a clear, jelly-like appearance and veal is very tender.

  4. Remove veal knuckle from pot. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones, discard bones, and chop meat.

  5. Return chopped meat to soup, along with hominy.

  6. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes longer.

  7. Portion into heated bowls and serve with pequin chiles or crushed red pepper to taste. Garnish with lime wedges.

Tips

If you're not accustomed to buying tripe, here are some tips:

  • Be sure to purchase honeycomb tripe for this recipe. There are a few different types that come from different parts of the cow's stomach.
  • Tripe may appear white, yellow, greenish, or brownish. The white tripe has been "dressed," which means bleached. Most tripe is sold bleached.
  • Before cooking with bleached tripe, give it a good cleaning. Even dressed tripe needs some prep for best results. Rinse several times to remove any impurities and chlorine residue. Par-boil (boil for 10 minutes and rinse under cold water) before chopping and using.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
292 Calories
12g Fat
13g Carbs
32g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 292
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 4g 21%
Cholesterol 220mg 73%
Sodium 526mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 32g
Vitamin C 6mg 29%
Calcium 111mg 9%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 333mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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