Slow Cooker Menudo (Real Food, Paleo, Whole30, AIP Friendly)

Menudo, or tripe soup, is a traditional soup commonly served on a Sunday morning.  It is considered labor-intensive since it requires a very long cooking time, so it started the night before any plans to eat it, or made for special occasions.

Due to its nourishing collagen-packed broth and mineral-rich protein, it has a cult following for those wishing to get rid of the Saturday night hangover!

I remember my dad being the one prepping the tripe at night and I remember someone getting up during the night at various times to check on the pot of soup bubbling on the stove.  I also remember becoming a teenager and deciding I no longer would eat organ meats!  So I even gave up on all the other delicious ones, like tender beef tongue and beef cheeks.  I also happily gave up the ones I never liked - like liver and mushy brains.  Yes, brains......

As an adult, I decided being an adventurous eater was much more fun and I incorporated liver back in my diet.  And I realized that the liver I remembered was severely overcooked and lacking flavor. Thank goodness both beef and chicken liver is wonderfully cheap because we now enjoy it in many different ways - but that is another post!  And on a recent trip trip to Mexico, we visited some friends that served us brain tacos - and they were absolutely delicious.  Just like liver, all meats can be delicious when properly prepared.  It all really depends on the recipe!!

Now that nutrition-dense real food plays such an important role in my life, I decided to give menudo a try once more.  With the help of a trusted friend who talked me through my first time handling tripe (yikes!), I quickly appreciated this iconic Mexican dish.

Organ meats were once prized and I think they should be once again.  According to The Paleo Mom:

'Organ meats are the most concentrated source of just about every nutrient, including important vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and essential amino acids. In the olden days (yes, I use that term purposely vaguely because it’s different for different cultures), organ meat was revered and saved for those at the highest echelons of society (exactly who depended on the culture, sometimes it was saved for pregnant women, sometimes the head of the family or tribe, sometimes the oldest members of the society, sometimes the hunters, etc.).'

And, if you are looking to incorporate more naturally raised grass-fed beef into your diet, but the cost seems prohibitive, she also says:

 '....organ meat, even from grass-fed animals, can be very cheap compared to muscle meat (and organ meats from grass-fed animals are even higher in nutrients than organs from grain-fed animals).  So, not only do you get to eat the healthiest meat from the animal, but you get to save money doing it!  If you’re living on a tight budget, this might be a great way to work in some grass-fed meat!'

And I agree!  Organ meat tends to be cheaper than most other cuts of meat and when prepared correctly, organ meats are among the most tender and flavorful.

The first several times I prepared menudo, it was like I remembered my parents making it: pre-soaked in water and lime juice to remove any lingering odor, and then cooked overnight, with plenty of aromatics, over a low flame on the stove. This method works really well but once I started making it in my slow cooker, it just seemed easier and I no longer saved menudo only for Sunday morning - it became a weekly school day breakfast!

I grew up with menudo being red, due to the chile paste that is added, but some states in Mexico eat it 'white', or without the chile paste.  When following an AIP diet, omit the chile paste (and chile flake garnish) and it is just as good!  Some people make it with hominy, but it wouldn't be Paleo, Whole30 or an AIP dish with it so I omit it.

I have made menudo both with conventionally raised tripe (from the grocery store) and with a grass-fed tripe and I highly, HIGHLY recommend grass-fed.  Grass-fed tripe tends to be less greasy and much less tripe-y (is that a word?) smelling.  But the finished dish will taste equally good once it is served.

Some butchers or grocery stores will sell the tripe already cut into pieces, and this can shave a minute or two of prep time.

The bones are needed to give the broth its characteristic healing and nourishing properties, so do not omit them.  I am hesitant to say that the tendon is optional because, it is delicious and my favorite part of this dish, so I will leave it up to you.


Slow Cooker Menudo

4 guajillo chile peppers, stemmed and seeded (omit, for AIP)
Water

1 lb honeycomb tripe, cut into spoon-sized pieces, rinsed and drained
1 lb thin marrow bone pieces, rinsed and drained
1 lb beef tendon pieces, rinsed and drained
1 entire head of garlic, unpeeled and unseparated
1/2 white onion, unpeeled and kept in one piece
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, in a tea ball or bag (omit for AIP)
2  dried bay leaves
1 tablespoon sea salt
Limes, for serving
Garnishes, optional: chopped cilantro, dried oregano, diced onion and crushed red pepper flake (omit the pepper flake if AIP)

Soften the chile peppers by placing them in a heat proof dish with boiling water, cover and set aside while the rest of the dish is prepared.  I usually add the peppers to a 4-cup measuring glass, add 2 cups of water and microwave the whole thing for about 2 minutes, then set aside.  Omit the chile peppers if AIP.

In a 5-quart (or larger) slow cooker, add the tripe pieces, marrow bones, tendon pieces, head of garlic, onion half, peppercorns, bay leaves and salt.

Add the chile peppers and soaking liquid to a blender jar and puree until smooth.  Using a sieve, strain the chile mixture into the slow cooker pot.  If using a high-speed blender, just pour the pureed chile paste directly into the pot, without straining.

Add several cups of fresh water to the pot, just until the meat is covered - the pot will be very full!

Cover the slow cooker with a lid and set the slow cooker to HIGH - cook for 10 hours, or overnight.

To serve, remove the tea ball with the peppercorns, garlic head, onion and bay leaves and discard. Skim off any excess fat off the top and discard.  Taste and add additional salt, if needed.

Ladle the menudo into individual bowls and garnish as desired with fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro and onion, dried oregano and crushed red pepper flakes.