Chicken Free Classic Menudo

Total time4 hr 45 min

Prep time45 min

Cook time4 hr

4.5

(29)

Few dishes carry the soul and history of a long-simmered menudo, and this version delivers that deep, brick-red broth with every spoonful. The base builds slowly — tripe and onion and garlic going low and slow until the meat turns tender and the pot fills with a rich, savory depth that shortcuts simply cannot replicate. A trio of dried chiles — guajillo, ancho, and chile de árbol — gets toasted and blended into a silky sauce that gives the broth its signature color and layered heat without any poultry products in sight. Bloomed hominy adds a satisfying chewiness that makes each bowl feel genuinely hearty and complete. The finishing spread of lime wedges, fresh cilantro, diced onion, and warm corn tortillas lets everyone customize their bowl at the table, which is half the fun. This is weekend cooking at its most rewarding — the kind of recipe that fills the kitchen with an aroma that pulls people in from the other room.

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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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