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| Alternative names | Mondongo |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Mexico |
| Main ingredients | Beeftripe (cow stomach),broth,hominy,lime,onions,cilantro,oregano, redchili peppers |
| Variations | Menudo colorado (made withchili added to the broth): menudo blanco (made without red chili peppers) |
Menudo, also known asMondongo,[1]pancita ([little] gut or[little] stomach) ormole de panza ("stomach sauce"), is a traditionalMexican soup, made with cow's stomach (tripe) inbroth with a red chili pepper base. It is the Mexican variation of theSpanishcallos ormenudo. Similar dishes exist throughoutLatin America andEurope includingsopa de mondongo,guatitas,dobrada;trippa alla romana in Italy, orpatsas in Greece.
Hominy (in Northern Mexico), lime, onions, and oregano are used to season the broth. It differs from theFilipino dish of the same name, in that the latter does not usetripe, hominy, or a chili sauce.
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Tripe soups of both beef and mutton have been traditional inSpanish cuisine since at least the 14th century. DonEnrique de Villena refers to them disparagingly in his 1423Arte Cisoria, saying:[2]
"Some eat the tongue and the intestines and tripe and lungs, and are not, in taste or health, such that they should be given to good and fine people."
The first part of the novelGuzmán de Alfarache (1599) mentions the protagonist eating beef tripecallos.[3]
With theSpanish colonization of the Americas, the Spanish introduced the tradition ofmenudo or tripe soups throughout the Americas, including Mexico. The specific Spanish predecessors of Mexican menudo are Southern Spanish menudos, which are red and may include garbanzo beans, just as corn in parts of Mexico: Menudo Gitano (Gypsy menudo), Menudo Andaluz, Menudo Sevillano, and Menudo Gaditano (Cádiz).
In the Mexican cookbookNuevo y Sencillo Arte de Cocina, Reposteria y Refrescos (1836), Antonia Carrillo includes manymenudo recipes, including a beef or mutton caldo de menudo (menudo soup), a veal menudo soup, and amenudo sopa (bread pudding).[4]
In his cookbookDiccionario de Cocina o El Nuevo Cocinero Mexicano (1845), Manuel Galvan Rivera defined “menudo” in Mexico as:[5]
MENUDO: Although this word includes the stomach, feet, blood and head of the cattle that are killed, in cuisine it is commonly understood as only the stomach or “pancita” and the tripe. For lambs, it also includes the liver and all the extremities, as stated below.
There are a number of regional variations on menudo. In northern Mexico, hominy is typically added. In northwest states such asSinaloa andSonora usually only theblanco,[6] (white) variation is seen;menudo blanco is the same dish, but red pepper is not added (thoughjalapeño or chopped green chilies may be included to replace the spice in the red version), thus giving the broth a clear or white color. In some areas of central Mexico, "menudo" refers to a stew ofsheep stomach,pancitas stew ofbeef tongue. In south-western Mexico (in and around the Distrito Federal, Morelos, and Guerrero) it is calledpanza orpanza guisada. The red variation is usually seen in the northern state ofChihuahua andNuevo León. Only yellow hominy is usually used in menudo in Texas. A similar stew made with more easily cooked meat ispozole. Some variations of menudo substitute garbanzo beans instead of hominy.
In Southern Arizona the typical adornments for menudo blanco are freshly chopped green onion and cilantro, lemon, and groundchiltepín. Addingpatas (beef or pig's feet) to the stew is popular in the United States.In the United States, since the mid-20th century, prepared menudo has been common in food stores and restaurants in cosmopolitan areas and in other areas with a significant Mexican population. Restaurants often feature it as a special on Saturday and Sunday,[7] and some believe menudo alleviates hangovers.[8] Canned menudo is also available.[9]
An annual Menudo Festival is held inSanta 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 scholarships for local students.[10]
Since 1996, the Menudo Bowl is an annual event in Laredo, Texas. In 2019, over 30 teams participated to make the best menudo. The event is organized by Laredo Crime Stoppers, with teams conformed by public officials, law enforcement, media representatives, and members of the community. The event is attended by people from both sides of the US–Mexico border.[11]
In the United States, amongTejanos andChicanos,[12] Menudo is traditionally prepared by the entire family, and often serves as an occasion for social interactions such as after wedding receptions where the families of the newlyweds go to one of their family's houses to enjoy a bowl of menudo before and after the ceremony. It is also believed to be ahangover cure.[13][6]
Menudo takes a long time to prepare as the tripe takes hours to cook. It includes many ingredients and side dishes (such as salsa), and is garnished with chopped onions, chiles, cilantro, and often with lime juice; it is often prepared communally and eaten at a feast.
Documents from the AmericanWorks Progress Administration indicate that in the 1930s, among migrant workers inArizona, menudo parties were held regularly to celebrate births, Christmas, and other occasions.[14]
It is typically served with chopped raw onions, oregano, diced chiles (usually serrano), and lemon or lime segments along with corn or flour tortillas.[6]
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