Menudo

I think today's weather was perfect for soup. I had a few recipes in mind, but I decided to make menudo. I haven't made it in years! I went to the store to get the ingredients and I was really shock on how inexpensive it really is to make it and how pricey it is to buy it at a restaurant. I was reminded why food is so much cheaper to cook at home. I will start making it more often since my husband and the kids love it. So if you have the time or you want to use the crock pot so you have dinner ready for when you come home I highly recommend this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Fresh Honeycomb Tripe
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 6-8 Dried New Mexico Peppers without steam and seeds
• 1 lg Can of Hominy
• About 2 Gallons of Water, (30-32 Cups)
• 2 tbsp Dried Oregano
• Salt to taste
• (you can also add either pig of beef feet)
• 1 Bunch of Cilantro
• 1/4 White Onion
• Lemon
• Bolillo Bread

Directions:

1. Cut tripe into 1 inch cubes.
2. If you added the pig or beef feet, add water to pot and the feet and let it boil for an hour before doing next step.
3. In large pot add water, tripe, garlic, peppers, and bay leaf. You will boil it for about 2-3 hours. 
4. About 10 minutes into cooking take out the peppers and garlic and blend it. You will then add it again to the pot so it will give a nice red color. Or if you want white menudo just don't add the peppers.
5. Add oregano and salt to taste.
6. After you have the pot boiling for 3 hours, you will drain the can of hominy and give it a rinse with cold water before you add it to the pot. Then let the menudo boil for another 30 minutes after you added the hominy.
7. If you put the ingredients on the crock pot set it on low before you leave home and when you return you can do step 4, 5, 6, and 8
8. Taste the menudo before turning off the fire to make sure you added enough salt. 

Let the menudo sit for a few minutes. Once you plate the menudo add some cilantro, onion, and lemon to the plate. Enjoy with a crispy buttered bolillo. If you want to spice it up you can also add some crushed chiltepin pepper or crushed red chilly pepper.