Authentic Mexican Menudo Rojo Recipe: Spicy Red-Chile Tripe Soup

Dive into the rich, spicy world of Mexican cuisine with this hearty Menudo Rojo. This traditional tripe stew is infused with dried chiles, oregano, and cumin, creating a flavor explosion that will tantalize your taste buds.

Menudo Rojo is a beloved Mexican delicacy featuring tender-chewy pieces of long-simmered tripe in a robust broth packed with hominy and infused with dried red chiles. The honeycomb tripe, known for its unique geometric pattern, lends a delightful texture and flavor to this soul-warming soup.

Our recipe involves a meticulous preparation process, including scrubbing the tripe with salt and lime juice to ensure a clean, fresh flavor. The addition of split pigs’ feet contributes body and depth to the broth, resulting in a beautifully milky white base before the chiles are added.

While we recommend dried New Mexico chiles for this recipe, guajillos are an excellent alternative for those seeking a spicier kick. Don’t forget to serve your Menudo Rojo with fresh, warm tortillas to soak up every last drop of the flavorful broth!

Menudo Rojo (Mexican Red-Chile Tripe Soup)

Ingredients

For the Soup:

• 2 pounds (907g) beef honeycomb tripe
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 large lime)
• 2 tablespoons (18g) plus 1 teaspoon (3g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste (for table salt, use half as much by volume or the same weight)
• 1 pork trotter (about 1 pound 5 ounces; 600g), halved lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 10 medium cloves garlic (2 1/2 ounces; 70g total), crushed, divided
• 1 large white onion (12 ounces; 340g), chopped (about 2 cups), divided
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 8 medium dried New Mexico chiles (about 1.43 ounces; 40g total; see note)
• One 29-ounce can white hominy, drained (about 2 1/2 cups)

For Serving:

• Fresh lime wedges
• Chopped white onion
• Fresh cilantro
• Sliced serrano chiles
• Warmed soft corn tortillas, for serving

Directions

1. Prepare the Tripe: Thoroughly wash and rinse tripe in warm water. Place in a large bowl, sprinkle with lime juice and 1 tablespoon (9g) salt, and scrub vigorously. Let soak for 30 minutes, then rinse and wash again in warm water. Drain well.
2. Parboil the Tripe: Cut tripe into 1- to 2-inch pieces. In a large stockpot, cover tripe and pork trotter with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse, and if necessary, wipe out the pot.
3. Start the Soup Base: Return tripe and trotter to the stockpot. Add 12 cups (2.8L) water, oregano, bay leaves, 6 garlic cloves, and half of the onion (about 1 cup). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming as needed. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer gently until tripe is very tender, 2 to 3 hours.
4. Prepare the Chile Mixture: Toast cumin seeds in a large skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Set aside. In the same skillet, toast chiles until pliable and slightly darkened, 30-60 seconds per side. Remove stems and seeds, then soak chiles in boiling water for 15 minutes.
5. Process the Trotter: Remove pork trotters from the pot. Once cool enough to handle, pick off any meat and return it to the pot. Discard the bones.
6. Blend the Chile Sauce: Drain chiles and blend with remaining onion, 4 cloves garlic, and toasted cumin. Add 2 cups of simmering broth and blend until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Strain the mixture and stir it back into the soup along with the hominy. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until flavors meld. Season with salt to taste.
7. Serve and Enjoy: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and serve with an array of condiments and warm tortillas on the side. Let everyone customize their Menudo Rojo to their liking!

Notes

For a milder version, substitute California chiles for the New Mexico chiles. For an extra spicy kick, try using guajillo chiles instead.