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Bill Torrez's Red Menudo

Time6 1/2 hours (30 minutes active)
YieldsMakes 2 1/2 gallons or about 20 servings
Cooking Recipes
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“Menudo is always good. There is good menudo and there is better menudo.”

This statement was from Arnold Jimenez, Coachella chief of police and a judge in the 1982 California State Championship Menudo Cookoff held in Indio.

Menudo cooks are bearers of tradition, adding a pinch of this or that the way their mothers and grandmothers did. Thus, skill in cooking, rather than innovation was the key to winning the cookoff.

The basics of menudo are tripe, a pig or beef food and hominy. Some cooks make red menudo, coloring the soup with chili powder and/or sauce. Others prefer to leave it white. Seasonings may include onion, garlic and oregano. Garnishes might be oregano, cilantro, lemon wedges, chopped onion and, on occasion, crushed or fresh chiles or a hot salsa.

This recipe comes from Bill Torrez of San Diego. He competed in the championship division of the 1982 cookoff.

This recipe was featured in a pre-internet article by the late Times Food staff writer Barbara Hansen titled “Tradition Spices Contest in Indio: Mexican Americans Take Menudo Seriously,” published on Dec. 9, 1982.

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Red Menudo

1

Wash tripe thoroughly and trim off excess fat. Cut into 1-inch squares. Separate pig’s feet at joints. Rinse the cut tripe and pig’s feet and place in large pot. Add water, onions, garlic, chili powder and oregano and season to taste with salt. Cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally.

2

After 4 hours, add hominy and lemon juice, plus more water if needed. Continue to simmer another 2 hours for a total of 6 hours or until meat is tender.

3

To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped onions, chopped cilantro and pinch of oregano.