Slow Cooker Menudo
This recipe includes the information and tips needed to make Slow Cooker Menudo, a traditional and comforting Mexican soup.
Servings 10
Ingredients
Menudo
- 3 lbs honeycomb or cut beef tripe (see notes)
- 2 lbs pig's feet (or cow's feet)
- 14 cups water
- 2 1/4 tbsp kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 white onion, peeled
- 1 head of garlic, peeled
- 2-3 15.5 oz cans white hominy (or one 29 oz can)
Red Sauce
- 15 dried chiles de arbol
- 3 dried guajillo chiles
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid
Garnishes
- 2 limes (cut into wedges)
- 1/2 white onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp dried Mexican oregano
- sliced bolillos or French bread
Instructions
Preparing the Meat
- Place the tripe in a medium pot and the pig’s feet in another. If frozen, run the meat under cold water until defrosted. Separate any pieces that are frozen together.
- Gently rub the pieces of tripe with your hands to release any extra fat or impurities. Dump the water and repeat this process two more times. Follow the same process for the pig's feet.
- If the tripe has too much fat, slice some of the excess off. Cut the meat into 1×1 inch pieces. If using cut tripe, some of the pieces may already be that size, but be sure to cut any larger pieces for more uniform cooking.
- Leave the tripe and pig’s feet in the pots and fill each one with new water, enough to cover the meat. Place the pots on the stove and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, this will ensure the meat is clean and ready to cook.
Menudo
- Add the 14 cups of cold water and 2 1/4 tablespoons of kosher salt to your slow cooker. Mix to dissolve the salt, then taste. The water should have the flavor of salt, but be sure it is not salty. Add another 1/4 tablespoon of salt only if needed.
- Drain the tripe and pig’s feet and add to the slow cooker. Add the white onion and all the peeled garlic cloves to the pot.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and set the time for 8 hours. After cooking for 8 hours, take a piece of the tripe out and use a butter knife to cut it. If the tripe is gritty and hard to cut, the menudo may need about another hour. The tripe is done when it is tender and easily sliced. You can also taste it at this point to be sure it is tender.
- In the last 15 minutes or so of the menudo cooking, pour the cans of hominy and their liquid into a small pot. Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Drain the hominy and add to the slow cooker. Switch the slow cooker to high and once it comes back to a boil the menudo is ready. Turn the slow cooker off or switch to warm.
- Taste the menudo for seasoning and add more salt if needed.
Red Sauce
- Add the chiles de arbol and guajillo chiles to a small pot of boiling water. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the chiles rest in the pot of water for another 5 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
- Add the chiles to a blender (or food processor) along with the kosher salt, garlic powder, chicken broth, and the reserved cooking liquid. Blend until smooth.
- Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a salsa bowl or small container. Use a spoon to mix and push the sauce to help it through the strainer and get rid of all the seeds and any unblended pieces.
Serve
- Serve the menudo in bowls and allow each person to add the garnishes to their liking.
Notes
- Refer to the blog post for more information about the cuts of meats used in this recipe.