Menudo Recipe

Rinse the tripe thoroughly under cold water. Trim any excess fat. Rub with coarse salt and a splash of vinegar, rinse again to remove odor and residual bits, then cut into 1-inch pieces if not already cut.

If using beef shank or oxtail, rinse and pat dry; set aside to brown briefly later (optional).

Combine ingredients

In a large bowl, soak breadcrumbs in milk for 5 minutes. Add ground beef, ground pork, egg, minced garlic, finely minced onion, cumin, salt and pepper. Mix gently until combined; avoid overworking.

Form into small meatballs about 1 to 1.25 inches in diameter (yields ~24–28 meatballs). Place on a plate and refrigerate while preparing broth so they hold shape.

In a large heavy-bottomed pot (6–8 quart), add the cleaned tripe, optional beef shank/oxtail, whole halved onion, smashed garlic cloves, dried oregano, bay leaves, black pepper and the 10 cups of broth or water. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Once boiling, reduce heat to a steady simmer. Skim any foam or scum from the surface with a spoon. Partially cover and simmer gently for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until tripe is tender but still slightly chewy (testing a piece for tenderness). If using shank/oxtail, remove bones and shred any tender meat after cooking and return to pot.

After the initial simmer, add the carrots, celery and quartered tomatoes to the pot. Continue to simmer for another 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Gently drop the chilled meatballs into the simmering broth, spacing them so they don't stick together. Cover and simmer for 12–15 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through (internal temperature 160°F / 71°C).

Taste the broth and adjust salt and pepper. If broth reduced too much, add up to 1–2 cups hot water or broth to reach desired consistency and simmer 5 minutes.

Remove the whole halved onion, bay leaves, and any large bones. If you prefer a lighter broth appearance, skim any excess fat from surface with a spoon or refrigerate briefly and remove solidified fat.

Ladle Menudo into bowls, making sure each bowl gets several pieces of tripe, 3–4 meatballs, carrots, celery, and some broth.

Top with finely diced white onion, chopped cilantro, a pinch of dried red chile flakes (optional), and serve with lime wedges and warm corn tortillas and radishes on the side.