White Menudo Soup Recipes

MENUDO DE SONORA (MENUDO SOUP SONORA-STYLE)

Steps:

• Bring water a boil in a large soup pot over high heat. Add cow's foot, onion quarters, garlic, thyme, marjoram, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Boil, skimming off the foam the forms on the surface, until broth flavors intensify, about 30 minutes. Add beef tripe and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until cow's foot softens, about 1 hour.
• Remove cow's foot pieces from the broth and transfer to a dish. Skim fat from the surface of the broth. Add hominy; cook until tripe is softened, 30 to 45 minutes. Do not overcook.
• Separate meat from the cow's foot. Discard bones.
• Discard onion quarters, garlic, thyme, marjoram, peppercorns, and bay leaves from the broth. Stir in meat and season with salt. Cook until flavors blend, about 5 minutes more. Pour into bowls and garnish each serving with lime wedges, finely chopped onion, cilantro, and oregano.

MENUDO

Steps:

• To prepare the broth: Combine 6 quarts water with the cow's foot, marrow bones, garlic and onion in a very large stockpot (at least 12 quarts) and set over medium-high heat. Season with 1 1/2 tablespoons salt. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes. While it cooks, use a spoon to skim off any foam that forms on the surface.
• Add the tripe and oregano and cook for 2 to 2 ½ hours, until the tripe is tender but firm. (Do not overcook it.)
• Remove the cow's foot and marrow bones from the pot and skim off the fat from the surface. Once the cow's foot cools a little, pick off the meaty parts, chop them and return them to the pot, along with the marrow from the bones. Discard all the bones.
• While the broth is cooking, make the guajillo sauce: Heat a comal or large skillet over medium-high, then place the guajillo peppers open wide in the pan and lightly roast them for 30 to 40 seconds, until they darken slightly and become fragrant. Remove promptly. Place the roasted peppers in a bowl and cover them with water. Let them soak for about 25 minutes, until soft. Drain the peppers and place them in a blender with the garlic, ½ cup of the cooking broth and cumin (if using). Blend until smooth. Strain the sauce through a strainer into the pot with the broth.
• Simmer the broth for another 30 minutes, partially covered. Taste and season with more salt, if you like. Serve the soup in large bowls and place the chopped onion, crushed chiles, lime wedges, oregano and tortillas in serving dishes for everyone to add to their own bowls.

WINTER WHITE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir in the garlic, shallots, and ginger, and cook until fragrant but not brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green onions, cauliflower, parsnip, and mushrooms, and cook and stir an additional 5 minutes. Add the pear, beans, mustard, and dill, and stir just until heated, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the wine and thyme, and turn up the heat to high. Boil, stirring constantly, until the wine is reduced by half and is syrupy, about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth. Return the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, partly covered, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Allow the soup to cool slightly.
• Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.
• Stir in cream, and, if needed, thin with additional chicken broth; serve hot. You may wish to serve this soup the next day. It will improve in taste with time.