Turkey 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 version delivers that rich, brick-red broth that keeps people coming back for more. Honeycomb tripe is the star here — tender and yielding after a slow cook with onion and garlic, it soaks up the complex chile sauce in a way that's genuinely hard to describe until you taste it. The sauce itself is built from toasted guajillo, ancho, and chile de árbol, blended smooth and strained directly into the pot, giving the broth that gorgeous deep color and layered heat. Bloomed hominy adds heartiness and a subtle sweetness that balances the smoky, earthy chiles beautifully. Since this recipe is built entirely around pork-based proteins and pantry staples, there's no poultry anywhere in the pot — it's a naturally bird-free bowl without any substitutions required. 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 your kitchen with an aroma that makes everyone wander in asking when it'll be ready.

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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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