Mondongo

Pics1+2 on this page were borrowed from the internet: Pic1 Pic2

Mondongo is a beef tripe & vegetable stew or soup that is quite popular in the Dominican Republic and in Central America. The big difference with menudo is that no hominy is used.

Recipes vary depending on locally available vegetables / fruits. Some use cassava or mashed plantains to thicken the broth. Depending the type and color of the added vegetables, the resulting broth can be red (most common) or green. (Pic1+2) 

Most cooks use whatever vegetables they have on hand locally. Onions, tomatoes, bell peppers and potatoes (or other starches) are common. Other choices are winter squash (calabaza), taro, small cobs of corn, carrots, chayote squash, celery. You can also stir in some garbanzos or white beans.

Puerto Ricans often add olives, raisins and capers.
Colombians like to add extra cilantro.

 

Pic1: red mondongo is most common
Pic2: green mondongo

Directions

Mondongo at home

2020-11-12

I finally managed to prepare this WITHOUT hominy / nixtamal with the promise from Marielos that she would at least give it a try. I used mostly carrots and potatoes, but also added leek greens, peas & carrots mix and a few zucchinis from the garden.

I usually add 2 packages of pig's feet to menudo. Today I used 3 and it may have been one too many, insofar that those pig's feet are all you can see in the pot and the plate. These big lumps made it very difficult to stir the soup properly. Next time, just one package, I think; or two at the most.

The major new flavors of the broth were carrots and potatoes, which makes this imo so much better than menudo. I've never been a great fan of hominy. Marielos who is used to eating menudo since a child, wasn't nearly as enthusiastic. While she didn't not like it, it was very different from the menudo flavor she expected and that took some getting used to.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 10 quarts = 16-20+ servings:

  • 1 bag of frozen beef tripe (4-8 lbs.)
  • 1 pckg. = 2 pig's feet
  • vegetables / fruits of your choice
    • 1-2 lbs. potatoes, diced
    • 2 lbs. carrots, sliced
    • 1-2 cups chopped leek greens
    • up to 1 lb. peas & carrots mix
    • 1-2 lbs. zucchinis, sliced
Pic1: mondongo

Directions

 

Pic2: tripe, dehydrated vegetable seasoning
Pic3: boil
Pic4:  add pig's feet after about 1/2 - 1 hr.

 

Pic5: potatoes
Pic6: carrots, whole onions
Pic7: about 1 hr. after start

 

Pic8: after 2 hrs.
Pic9: peas & carrots after 3 1/2 - 4 hrs.
Pic10: with zucchinis

 

Pic11+12: served
Pic13: leftovers

with crackers

Leftovers went into the refrigerator for a day and a week, and the next time, I tried this with crackers.

2020-11-22

Pic14+15: served with saltine crackers