For many, menudo is a dish of ill repute.
Those who abhor the hearty red broth simple can’t stomach the — well, stomach. The soup is studded with cubes or strands of fatty tripe, the lining of a cow’s stomach. Devotees enshrine it with divine powers. Menudo, they attest, can lend new life to those betrayed and crucified by the bottle.
To some, the Mexican weekend tradition remains a mystery.
“A lot of people don’t know what it is,” acknowledged Juan Ramos, manager of La Monarca in Lower Lake. “You tell them and it’s like ‘Oh, God — no.’”
Step past the fear of offal, however, and you will realize just why menudo became and remains a staple.
Although the soup speaks in vigorous terms — chile, garlic, spices and even the hoof of the cow — skilled cooks and timeworn family recipes tame these into something intricate. At La Monarca the chile heat, properly chastised, lurks in the corner at first, creeping foward with each spoonful. A rich yet homey savor dominates as plush fats steeped from the tripe through hours of cooking blankets your palate. There’s a rustic trundle of stewed red meat and brighter chirps of tomato and lime.
Bringing it all together is a melange of herbs and spices. These stoop to the husky meat and reach for the citrus at the same time. It’s a soothing and satisfying experience.
Of course, there is the tripe — cushy and soulful, but with an unusual texture.
“You love it or you don’t,” Ramos explained. “Personally I don’t eat menudo, but we have a lot of customers who come in just for it. You be amazed how much we sell on weekends.”
Tripe may be one of those acquired tastes, although many appreciate the heft it brings to a dish. Menudo, after all, is based on a traditional Spanish tripe soup, transformed by local ingredients. Regional differences exist, even within Mexico. Menudo rojo — the red tomato-based broth served at La Monarca — holds sway in the northern regions, and is claimed by many states. A white soup is popular in Sinaloa, or Mexico’s central reaches.
Even family recipes vary. Ramos has known La Monarca’s menudo since childhood. But unlike many versions, they reserve hominy for posole.
The dish is so popular that most local taquerias offer bowls at least one day over the weekend. At La Monarca it features on the menu Friday through Sunday.
“It’s kind of a tradition,” Ramos said.
And whether you frown upon tripe or favor it, a taste of La Monarca’s menudo will explain why so many follow tradition faithfully.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
