Menudo

• 2 1/2 Pound Tripe
• 1/2 Calf's foot
• 1/3 Cup Vinegar
• Cold water
• 2 Cloves garlic
• 1/2 Small Onion
• 3 Quart Water (approx.)
• Salt
• 1−1/2 Cup Hominy
• Red Chile Puree (see below) OR 1 cup canned red chile sauce
• Finely chopped green onions
• Chopped coriander leaves
• Lemon wedges
• Corn tortillas, heated

Red Chile Puree:

• 8 California chiles (1/4 lb)
• 2/3 Cup Water

Directions for the Menudo

Scrape off any fat from tripe. Cut tripe into 1−inch squares. Place tripe and calf's foot in a large bowl. Add vinegar and cold water to cover generously. Let stand 3 hours. Drain. Rinse tripe and calf's foot thoroughly. Place in a large pot. Add garlic and onion. Pour in water to cover ingredients plus 1 to 1 1/2 inches, about 3 quarts. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 6 hours or until tripe is tender. After 1 hour, skim foam from surface of soup. Skim again as needed. Add more water if liquid evaporates. Prepare Red Chile Puree. Add hominy and Red Chile Puree during last hour of cooking. Ladle into large bowls. Serve chopped green onions, coriander, lemon wedges and hot corn tortillas separately. Makes 10 to 15 servings.

Directions for the Red Chile Puree

Remove stems from chiles. Break chiles open and rinse out seeds. Place in a saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil until chiles are softened, about 5 minutes. Drain; discard water. Place chiles in blender; puree. Add enough water to make puree the consistency of tomato sauce. Press pureed chiles through a sieve to remove bits of peel. Makes about 1 cup. Variation: Substitute 1 1/2 cups nixtamal (cooked dried corn) for canned hominy. Combine with soaked tripe and calf's foot, garlic, onion and water. Cook as directed above