Menudo (soup)
Encyclopedia
The soup Menudo is a traditional Mexican dish
, made with beef stomach
in a clear broth
or with a red chili
base (this variation is called menudo colorado). Usually, lime
, chopped onion
s, and chopped cilantro are added, as well as crushed oregano
and crushed red chili peppers. Boiled tripe
has a tough chewy texture very similar to calamari, but with a completely unique flavor and smell.
Menudo is usually eaten with tortilla
s or other breads, such as bolillo
. It is often chilled and reheated, which causes a more concentrated flavor. The popularity of menudo in Mexico
is such that Mexico is a major export market for stomach tripe from US and Canadian beef producers.
Given that menudo is time and labor intensive to prepare—the tripe takes hours to cook (or else it is extremely tough), and many ingredients and side dishes (such as salsa) need to be cut and cooked—the dish is often prepared communally and eaten at a feast; documents from the Works Progress Administration
indicate that in the 1930s, among (migrant) workers in Arizona
, menudo parties were held regularly to celebrate births, Christmas, and other occasions.
The word "menudo" in Mexico can mean the raw stomach meat as well as the stew. The word tripas
(tripe) normally refers to the small intestines rather than the stomach; tripas are normally eaten in taco
s rather than stews.
(creation of hominy is one step in the production of tortilla
dough) is added. In northwest states such as Sinaloa
and Sonora
usually only the blanco, or white, variation is seen; menudo blanco it is the same dish, with the difference red pepper is not added, thus giving the broth a clear or white color. Adding patas (beef or pigs feet) to the stew is popular in the U.S. but not universal. In some areas of central Mexico, "menudo" refers to stew of sheep stomach, "pancitas" stew of beef
stomach. The red variation is usually seen in Chihuahua, the northern state adjoining Texas
. It is also usual to use only yellow hominy in menudo in the Texas region. A similar stew made with more easily cooked meat is pozole
.
In the last season of the 1970s television series Sanford and Son
, Fred Sanford made a reference to menudo in almost every episode. It was thought to be his favorite dish.
An annual Menudo Festival is held in Santa Maria, California. In 2009, more than 2,000 people attended and 13 restaurants competed for prizes in three categories. The festival is organized by the National Latino Peace Officers Association of Northern Santa Barbara County and the money raised goes toward the Robert Ramos Scholarship Fund.
It is also thought to be a good hangover cure in parts of the southwest.
Mexican cuisine
Mexican cuisine, a style of food that originates in Mexico, is known for its varied flavors, colourful decoration and variety of spices and ingredients, most of which are native to the country. The cuisine of Mexico has evolved through thousands of years of blending indigenous cultures, with later...
, made with beef stomach
Stomach
The stomach is a muscular, hollow, dilated part of the alimentary canal which functions as an important organ of the digestive tract in some animals, including vertebrates, echinoderms, insects , and molluscs. It is involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication .The stomach is...
in a clear broth
Broth
Broth is a liquid food preparation, typically consisting of either water or an already flavored stock, in which bones, meat, fish, cereal grains, or vegetables have been simmered. Broth is used as a basis for other edible liquids such as soup, gravy, or sauce. It can be eaten alone or with garnish...
or with a red chili
Chili con carne
Chili con carne is a spicy stew. The name of the dish derives from the Spanish chile con carne, "chili pepper with meat". Traditional versions are made, minimally, from chili peppers, garlic, onions, and cumin, along with chopped or ground beef. Beans and tomatoes are frequently included...
base (this variation is called menudo colorado). Usually, lime
Lime (fruit)
Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
, chopped onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
s, and chopped cilantro are added, as well as crushed oregano
Oregano
Oregano – scientifically named Origanum vulgare by Carolus Linnaeus – is a common species of Origanum, a genus of the mint family . It is native to warm-temperate western and southwestern Eurasia and the Mediterranean region.Oregano is a perennial herb, growing from 20–80 cm tall,...
and crushed red chili peppers. Boiled tripe
Tripe
Tripe is a type of edible offal from the stomachs of various farm animals.-Beef tripe:...
has a tough chewy texture very similar to calamari, but with a completely unique flavor and smell.
Menudo is usually eaten with tortilla
Tortilla
In Mexico and Central America, a tortilla is a type of thin, unleavened flat bread, made from finely ground maize...
s or other breads, such as bolillo
Bolillo
A bolillo is a type of savory bread traditionally made in Mexico, where it originates. It is a variation of the baguette, and is often baked in an horno de piedra....
. It is often chilled and reheated, which causes a more concentrated flavor. The popularity of menudo in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
is such that Mexico is a major export market for stomach tripe from US and Canadian beef producers.
Cultural significance
Menudo is also a familial food, in the preparation of which the entire family participates, and even serves as an occasion for social interaction with others, since oftentimes throngs of people with pots in hand will wait at the butcher's shop to buy their menudo, if their families no longer make it themselves.Given that menudo is time and labor intensive to prepare—the tripe takes hours to cook (or else it is extremely tough), and many ingredients and side dishes (such as salsa) need to be cut and cooked—the dish is often prepared communally and eaten at a feast; documents from the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
indicate that in the 1930s, among (migrant) workers in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, menudo parties were held regularly to celebrate births, Christmas, and other occasions.
Etymology
Menudo (from Latin minūtus) can mean "small, thin, worthless, vulgar, (money) change, tripe, and tithe from small orchards." It is unknown if the soup came to be known as menudo since it was made up of tripe or if any of the other meanings, which are many, have something to do with it.The word "menudo" in Mexico can mean the raw stomach meat as well as the stew. The word tripas
Tripas
Tripas, in Mexican cuisine are the small intestines of farm animals that have been cleaned, boiled and grilled. Tripas are used as filling for tacos, then dressed with condiments such as cilantro, chopped onions, and chile sauce. They are also served with Pico De Gallo and...
(tripe) normally refers to the small intestines rather than the stomach; tripas are normally eaten in taco
Taco
A taco is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety...
s rather than stews.
Preparation
Menudo is time intensive, taking four to seven hours to make. The meat should be rinsed clean first. Menudo usually has tripe, honeycomb and "librillo" stomach beef meat along with the beef feet and tendons. The feet and tendons are boiled first at low to medium heat for about three hours. Skimming off the top layer of floating foam about every 15 minutes for the first hour helps the flavor. After the first three hours, the stomach meat should be added along with salt, an onion cut in half, and one or two heads of garlic. Red menudo has the addition of chili paste. The menudo is allowed to continue boiling for an additional three hours while covered to avoid evaporation. Once it is almost done, add the hominy.Regional variations
There are a number of regional variations on menudo. In northern Mexico, typically hominyHominy
Hominy or nixtamal is dried maize kernels which have been treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization.The English term hominy is derived from the Powhatan language word for maize. Many other Native American cultures also made hominy and integrated it into their diet...
(creation of hominy is one step in the production of tortilla
Tortilla
In Mexico and Central America, a tortilla is a type of thin, unleavened flat bread, made from finely ground maize...
dough) is added. In northwest states such as Sinaloa
Sinaloa
Sinaloa officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 18 municipalities and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales....
and Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
usually only the blanco, or white, variation is seen; menudo blanco it is the same dish, with the difference red pepper is not added, thus giving the broth a clear or white color. Adding patas (beef or pigs feet) to the stew is popular in the U.S. but not universal. In some areas of central Mexico, "menudo" refers to stew of sheep stomach, "pancitas" stew of beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
stomach. The red variation is usually seen in Chihuahua, the northern state adjoining Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It is also usual to use only yellow hominy in menudo in the Texas region. A similar stew made with more easily cooked meat is pozole
Pozole
Pozole is a ritually significant, traditional pre-Columbian soup or stew from Mexico. Pozole was mentioned in Fray Bernardino de Sahagún's "General History of the Things of New Spain" circa 1500 CE. It is made from nixtamalized cacahuazintle corn, with meat, usually pork, chicken, turkey, pork...
.
Menudo in the U.S.
Prepared menudo has been common in food stores and restaurants in cosmopolitan areas of the US since the mid-20th Century and in other areas with a significant Mexican population. Restaurants often feature it as a special on Friday and Saturday.In the last season of the 1970s television series Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son is an American sitcom, based on the BBC's Steptoe and Son, that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977....
, Fred Sanford made a reference to menudo in almost every episode. It was thought to be his favorite dish.
An annual Menudo Festival is held in Santa Maria, California. In 2009, more than 2,000 people attended and 13 restaurants competed for prizes in three categories. The festival is organized by the National Latino Peace Officers Association of Northern Santa Barbara County and the money raised goes toward the Robert Ramos Scholarship Fund.
It is also thought to be a good hangover cure in parts of the southwest.