A hearty tripe soup as it is prepared in the north of Mexico, this is especially recommended as a cure for hangovers. It is always made on New Year's morning.
Menudo, the boy band alternative
A large saucepan (see note below)
1 calf's foot (about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
2 pounds honeycomb tripe
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic, peeled
6 peppercorns
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
4 quarts of water
A comal or griddle
3 large chiles anchos
A spice grinder
A large chile poblano, peeled or 2 canned, peeled green chiles
The calf's foot
1/2 cup canned hominy (1 pound) drained (see note below)
Salt as necessary
1 scant teaspoon oregano
Have the butcher cut the calf's foot into four pieces. Cut the tripe into small squares. Put them into the pan with the rest of the ingredients. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Lower the flame and simmer uncovered for about 2 hours, or until the tripe and foot are just tender but not too soft. Meanwhile, toast the chilies well. Slit them open and remove the seeds and veins from the chile poblano, cut it into strips, and add to the meat while it is cooking. Remove the pieces of calf's foot from the pen, and when they are cool enough to handle, strip off the fleshy parts. Chop them roughly and return them to the pan.
Add hominy and continue cooking the menudo slowly, still uncovered, for another 2 hours.
Add salt as necessary. Sprinkle with oregano and serve (see note below).
This amount is sufficient for 7 or 8 people. It should be served in large, deep bowls with hot tortillas and small dishes of chopped chile serranos, finely chopped onion and wedges of lime for each person to help himself, along with Salsa de Tomate Verde Cruda to be eaten with tortillas.
This I have actually made - and believe it or not it isn't bad. ("tripe", in case you're wondering, is an animal's stomach - when you buy it in the store it's somehow 'disinfected' and is a snowy white color) The fun in this Halloween dish is not telling them what they ate until they've gotten it down. They'll probably like it.
You should be able to find the chiles and tripe in a Mexican grocery store, you might have to substitute a small beef roast for the calves' foot