Saturday, December 27, 2008

MENUDO - The El Paso Way to Cure a Hangover

Menudo is one of those dishes you either love or hate. Just like cilantro. For those of you that don't know what the key ingredient in this dish is, prepare yourself...it's tripe. What is tripe you ask? Well, by definition it is the lining of the stomach of a cow, but sometimes of a pig or sheep.

Menudo is an incredibly popular stew here in the southwest, especially if you grew up with it. Having menudo on the weekends, especially after a pachanga (party) was a given. Coming back after partying in Juarez in the days when you could go to Juarez without fearing for your life (1500 murders in Juarez , drug cartel wars, and the year isn't over yet!!!), it was always customary to stop at the Good Luck Cafe on Alameda street to have a huge bowl of menudo, some bolillos, and several cups of coffee. No-fail way to keep from getting a hangover or get rid of one.

Anyway, since I was reminiscing about my past, I couldn't leave out one of the staples that was on our table every Sunday. My brother Mando makes the best menudo anyone has ever tasted. Bob and Lily won't eat it, but my son Michael will. It's an acquired taste, unless you grew up on it. I hope you try it and enjoy it. It's made with tripe, posole (hominy), red chile and some people even cook it with pigs feet! Gives it an incredible flavor. Aprovecho!
Menudo

3 ½ pounds beef tripe, rinsed well and cut into 1 inch squares
3 to 3 ½ pounds beef shanks or pigs feet
10 cups water
2 medium sized onions, chopped
10 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Chile Purée (recipe follows)
3 large cans (29 ounces each) white or yellow hominy, drained
Salt
Garnishes (see suggestions below)

In an 8 to 10 quart pan, combine tripe, beef shanks, water, onions, garlic, and cumin. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tripe is very tender ( 6 to 7 hours ). Meanwhile, prepare Chile Purée, set aside.
Skim and discard fat from liquid. Lift beef shanks from pan; discard bones and fat. Cut meat into chunks and return to pan with purée and hominy. Season to taste with salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. If made ahead, cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days; reheat before serving.
Pour soup into bowls; offer garnishes to add to individual servings. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Chile Purée

Discard stems and seeds from 9 large dried red chiles (either New Mexico or California) in a bowl with 3-¼ cups warm water. Let stand until softened (20 to 30 minutes). Discard all but 1-¼ cups of the liquid. In a blender or food processor, purée chiles with liquid until smooth, scraping sides of container once or twice.

Garnishes
Choose from the following, arranged in separate bowls: 3 limes or lemons, cut into wedges; ½ cup fresh oregano leaves; 1 cup fresh cilantro sprigs; 1 medium sized onion, chopped; and ¼ cup crushed dried hot red chiles or 5 fresh Serrano or jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced.

If you don't care for the tripe in Menudo, try this recipe with the pozole and pork.

Pozole Stew

2 packages (¾ pound each) dried pozole or fresh frozen pozole
10 ounces pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cups Green Chile Sauce, recipe follows
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 white onion, finely diced
4 dried red New Mexico chiles, rinsed, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chile powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons salt
6 quarts water

If using fresh-frozen pozole, rinse it well under cold running water. Place all of the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the kernels have opened up and are tender, 2 ½ to 5 hours, depending upon the type of pozole you are using.Add water as needed to keep the pozole just covered with liquid. When the stew is ready, the consistency should be that of a thick soup.Adjust to taste with more garlic, dried red chile, and salt before serving. Serves 8.

Green Chile Sauce

1 can ( 8 ounce ) tomato sauce
1 can ( 4 ounce ) chopped green chile
½ medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Dash of salt
Pinch of oregano

Mix all ingredients and store in refrigerator. Good also with tacos, tostadas, huevos rancheros, and as a dip. For extra spiciness, add one minced jalapeño. Makes 1 cup.

14 comments:

anudivya said...

Love the green chile sauce! And there are people who don't like cilantro? My! I love it.

Tina Butler said...

Oh Teresa now your talking girl. I love Menudo. My friends just made some last weekend and I ate my self silly full. My dh dislikes menudo but I love it so. I need to try your Pozole recipe. Your Menudo looks awesome.

Ivy said...

We have a similar Greek dish called patsas but I am one of those who hate it. There are restaurants serving this soup all night until early in the morning and after hangovers people usually go and have this soup.

Reeni said...

It looks great in the picture. But I'm not sure about this. Does it taste like beef or something entirely different? The Pozole looks really good, no question about that one, yum!

Arlene Delloro said...

How funny, Teresa. I was at a dinner party on Saturday night and we were talking about Italy and Italian food. My grandmother used to make tripe in the pressure cooker. One memorable Christmas Eve, it "exploded" all over the ceiling. Tripa, menudo--you either love it, or hate it. I'm afraid it's not something I'm willing to try. No the pozole...no problema. Love your table, amiga.

Anonymous said...

a mi me'canta tripe! We call it 'pata y panza'... none of my friends like it but I swear if they tasted it the way we fix it, they'd change their mind. Hope you had a great Holiday!

Dibs said...

Interesting to read your reminicenses! The chillie sauce seems great!

Karen said...

Glad to be back to my own computer so I can read your blog! I must admit that although I love cilantro, menudo is on my very short things of food I will not eat. I think it's something you might have to grow up eating to appreciate! Happy New Year!

Kelly said...

I saw Menudo on a food network show (Diners, Dive Ins and Drives perhaps?) and have been very intrigued. I can see where the ingredients would turn some people off, but it seems to pay off to be open mind because some of the things that seem the grossest really taste great.

Have a great new year Teresa!

Leslie said...

I love eating menudo, but I don't eat the meat. To me, the meat has the texture of rubber, and I don't want to bite anything that bounces back! But the broth... Oh, the broth. It is sooo good, along with the hominy. Add a little chopped serrano, a squeeze of a fresh lime, some chopped onion... and you are in business!!

I love eating menudo in a restaraunt or at someone else's home. Why, you ask? I remember the smell my relatives cooking menudo. It kind of smells.

But, man... it does taste good!

I hope your new year is awesome and yummy!!

Leslie, aka The Menu Maker Mom
http://menumakermom.blogspot.com

Maria said...

That's funny because the Greek version of tripe soup, "patsas," is also a supposed hangover cure. I'm a fan of the Greek version and by the looks of this, I think I'd be a fan of yours as well.

Anonymous said...

where you come from!

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Unknown said...

Transplanted from El Paso, I grew up eating menudo at Good Luck Cafe. Since moving away, I can't find a decent bowl of it at any restaurant, and I've tried! I decided to finally make it myself, but there are so many recipes, and then I found yours. I'm excited to make this since you obviously know the El Paso/Juarez flavor I would expect from my menudo. Thank you!