BHA & BHT Free Classic Menudo

Total time4 hr 45 min

Prep time45 min

Cook time4 hr

4.5

(29)

Few dishes carry the soul-warming depth of a long-simmered menudo, and this from-scratch version delivers every bit of that rich, brick-red broth that makes the recipe legendary. The chile sauce is built from dried guajillo, ancho, and chile de árbol — whole, real ingredients that you toast and blend yourself, which means no processed spice packets or seasoning blends with questionable preservatives hiding inside. That matters a lot when you're avoiding BHA and BHT, since those additives tend to sneak into pre-made broths, canned sauces, and convenience seasonings that shortcuts like this recipe simply don't rely on. The honeycomb tripe gets a proper parboil and a slow, patient simmer with onion and garlic until it reaches that perfect tender-but-slightly-chewy texture that menudo fans know and love. Hominy goes in toward the end, soaking up the deeply colored broth and blooming into soft, pillowy bites that round out every spoonful. Finish your bowl with fresh cilantro, a hard squeeze of lime, diced onion, and warm corn tortillas, and you have a meal that tastes like it came from a kitchen that's been making this for generations — because the technique really is that straightforward and that good.

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Ingredients

8 servings

4 lb honeycomb tripe, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
1 lb pig's feet (about 2 pieces), optional (optional)
1 white onion, halved
8 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
2 cans (29 oz each) hominy, drained and rinsed

For the chile sauce

6 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
1 dried chile de árbol, stem removed
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp dried mexican oregano
1 tsp ground cumin

For serving

½ white onion, finely diced (optional)
4 limes, cut into wedges (optional)
¼ cup dried mexican oregano, for serving (optional)
½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)
crushed red pepper flakes or dried chile de árbol, for serving (optional)
warm corn tortillas, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1
Place the tripe pieces (and pig's feet, if using) in a large stockpot and cover with cold water by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse the tripe thoroughly under cold running water. Wipe out the pot.
2
Return the tripe (and pig's feet, if using) to the pot. Add the halved onion, 8 garlic cloves, and 2 tsp salt. Pour in enough cold water to cover by 3 inches — about 12 cups. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady low simmer. Skim any foam that rises to the surface during the first 20 minutes.

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