Menudo (Mexican tripe and hominy soup)

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg honeycomb tripe, cleaned — see method
• 600 g book tripe, cleaned — see method
• coarse salt coarse salt, for scrubbing
• 2 limes, halved, for scrubbing; more to serve
• 1 white onion, halved and charred directly over flame
• For the chile base
• 3 ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
• 3 guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
• 2 pasilla chiles, stems and seeds removed
• 800 g canned hominy (maíz pozolero), drained and rinsed thoroughly
• 2 tsp dried oregano, Mexican, plus extra to serve
• Garnish (set on the table)
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 4 limes, cut into wedges
• 2 tsp dried chile powder, e.g. chile de árbol powder
• 2 tsp dried oregano

Method

1. 1
   Clean the tripe: scrub both cuts thoroughly with coarse salt and the cut face of the limes, working the salt into all folds and pockets. Rinse under cold running water three times. Place in a large pot, cover with cold water, bring to a hard boil, and par-boil for 20 minutes. Drain and discard the water entirely. Repeat the scrubbing and par-boiling sequence once more. The tripe is sufficiently cleaned when it carries no ammonia or barnyard odour.
2. 2
   Cut the cleaned tripe into strips or squares of roughly 4 cm. Place in a large, heavy pot with the charred onion halves. Cover with cold water by at least 5 cm. Bring to a boil, reduce to a steady simmer, and cook uncovered for 3 to 4 hours. The tripe is ready when it yields completely to a fork — it should be tender throughout, with no resistance at the centre.
3. 3
   This is where the dish lives or dies. Once the tripe is nearly tender — at the 3-hour mark — prepare the dried chile base. Toast the anchos, guajillos, and pasillas in a dry skillet over medium heat, pressing each flat, until fragrant and pliable — 30 seconds per side. Do not allow them to blacken or the base will be bitter. Submerge the toasted chiles in boiling water and soak for 20 minutes until fully soft. Transfer to a blender with 250 ml of their soaking liquid and blend until completely smooth. Pass through a fine sieve, pressing firmly. Stir the strained chile purée into the simmering tripe broth. The broth must turn a deep, even red; a pale or orange broth indicates insufficient chile or a poorly blended base.
4. 4
   Add the drained and rinsed hominy to the pot. Simmer for a further 30 minutes — sufficient for the hominy to heat through and absorb the flavour of the broth without dissolving. Taste and add salt. Stir in the oregano.
5. 5
   Ladle into deep bowls, ensuring each portion receives both tripe and hominy. Set the garnish table: chopped white onion, dried oregano, lime wedges, and dried chile powder. Each diner seasons at the table. The broth at rest should be thick enough to coat the spoon lightly — a consequence of the collagen released during the long simmer.