Inside: This Authentic Mexican Menudo Recipe is as Mexican as it gets and you will be surprised how good it is when made right!
This is part of a sponsored collaboration with Rumba Meats. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
While Mexico is well-known for certain things, such as tacos, tostadas, and more, it is also known for things that some people might not be as eager to try like menudo.
What Is Menudo?
Menudo is a popular “caldo”, or soup, in Mexico that includes as a main component beef tripe. If you don’t know what that is, it is the meat from a cow’s stomach.
Now it might come as a shock to you, but it can actually be very delicious if you prepare it the right way, and that is my goal with this recipe today!
Whenever you purchase any of the less common cuts of meat, like beef tripe, beef tongue, oxtails, and cheekmeat, you want to make sure that you cook it the right way, and that you purchase high-quality meat. In Mexico, you can find these types of meat all over the place, but in the United States, it can be a little bit more difficult.
Fortunately, I recently came across a brand that sells all of these cuts of meat and more and that you can have delivered directly to your door.
The company is Rumba Meats, and you can purchase the meat for this menudo and many others on Amazon.
I ordered this variety box and I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived. It came in a very secure box, with dry ice and well packed. The meat was all still frozen solid and ready to either thaw or put in the freezer.
For this menudo recipe, I used the Rumba Meats Honeycomb Beef Tripe. It came clean and trimmed, which was great.
This isn’t a recipe that I make very often, because my husband isn’t quite brave enough yet to try it, but I have to say – it turned out very good and flavorful.
My mom used to make this version of menudo when I was growing up, and I used to help her. I remember the recipe now that I am older and it definitely brought back some good memories from growing up in Mexico.
I hope that you enjoy this recipe, and that you will give it a try – even if it is a little bit outside of your comfort zone!
Let me know in the comments below how it turned out for you.
Try These Other Great Mexican Classics
- Mexican Pozole Recipe
- Authentic Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Charro Beans Authentic Mexican Recipe
- Shrimp Ceviche Mexican Style Ceviche Recipe
- Authentic Mexican Birria Recipe (3 Methods)
- Barbacoa Tacos
- How To Make Authentic Beef Tongue Tacos (Tacos de Lengua Recipe)
Products Used In this Recipe
- Sharp knives – important for trimming the tripe.
- Large Stock Pot
- Honeycomb Beef Tripe
- Dried Guajillo Chiles
Authentic Mexican Menudo Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds of Rumba Meats Honeycomb Tripe
- 1 Liter of Water
- ½ White Onion
- 1 head of garlic about 4-5 cloves
- 1 Branch of Fresh Oregano
- 1 Branch of Fresh Rosemary
- Salt
- Guajillo Sauce 2 pasilla peppers, 2 guajillo peppers, salt, pepper, cumin, clove of garlic
- 1 Can of Beef Stock
- 1 Can of Hominy
- 2 Potatoes cut into medium sized cubes
Instructions
- Clean the Tripe with water and vinegar, and then rinse.
- Trim the fat around the edges of the tripe.
- Cut the Tripe into small chunks and add it to a pot with boiling water and cook for about 25 minutes.
- Drain the water and rinse the Tripe again. Set aside.
- In a large, clean pot add a liter of water, the garlic, onion, salt, fresh herbs, beef stock, potatoes, and tripe.
- Bring to a boil and let cook for 20 minutes.
- Make the guajillo sauce by removing the seeds and stem from the pasilla and guajillo peppers, and boiling them for 15 minutes in water. Drain the water and blend the softened peppers with one clove of garlic, salt, pepper, onion, and cumin. Strain the mixture with a strainer.
- Add the guajillo sauce and the hominy to the pot with the rest of the ingredients and let cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve with lime, onion, and cilantro.
TJ Sera
Friday 30th of December 2022
Menudo spice mix can be purchased or for every 2 qts of broth you can make it w 2 tsp. chili; 1 tsp each: basil, thyme, oregano, dry mustard, cumin, sugar, dried orange peel; 1/2 tsp each: cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin seed.
Cynthia Tejeda
Friday 16th of December 2022
What is the serving size per person for this recipe?
Aaron Rodriguez
Sunday 17th of July 2022
I was going to make this until I read potatoes!! While I understand that different regions of Mexico can make different versions of food, I’ve yet to hear the version of menudo of made with potatoes. In my opinion, potatoes is in menudo is not authentic.
China Mike
Thursday 5th of May 2022
Hello from the Philippines. I'm American, grew up in Texas, so I am familiar with Mexican Menudo. I know it's made of cow stomach and various herbs and spices. Here in the Philippines however, what they call 'menudo' is absolutely NOTHING like the great soup you and I grew up eating. There version has pork liver, tomato sauce, onions, garlic and perhaps "Magic Sarap" which is there copy of Knorr Seasoning (mainly chicken bullion, MSG, garlic, onion). It is very delicious, but not at all the authentic Menudo you have listed here. Odd huh? How although they were influenced by the Spanish who came out of Mexico centuries ago, they are bit 'off' on their understanding of Mexican cuisine.
Jackie Haynes
Sunday 13th of March 2022
It came out perfect. I've eaten it before but never made it. Thanks