Jalisco Café - English

Versión Español

Ingredients

Beef tripe

1 Beef Foot

Nixtamal (hominy corn)

Guajillo Chile

Salt

Garlic

Step One

Wash the nixtamal thoroughly before cooking it. This will remove any impurities and help with the cooking process.

Currently, Jalisco Café opens its doors to the public only on Saturdays and Sundays, so the process begins every Friday around 9 a.m.

The person in charge of this first stage of the menudo preparation is Felipe, right-hand man to Héctor, who has many years of experience at the restaurant and plenty of menudo under his belt.

Step Two

Next, the beef tripe is washed thoroughly with plenty of cold water. Let it drain for a few minutes, then place it in a pot along with the nixtamal and what Felipe calls “one of the key ingredients for a good menudo.”

As he says this, he proudly holds up a beef foot with both hands to show the camera.

Step Three

Fill the pot with water, making sure to leave about four fingers of space between the liquid and the rim.

“That’s the exact measure to keep the soup from overflowing once it starts to boil.”

Step Four

That same Friday, around 5 p.m., Héctor lights the fire under his menudo pots. Once they reach a boil, he lowers the heat and lets them simmer for hours, slowly building up that rich, delicious flavor.

That night, he sleeps in a small room behind his restaurant.“I have to keep an eye on these pots. I can’t leave them unattended—they’re needier than a jealous girlfriend,” Héctor says with a laugh. His laughter echoes through the kitchen and even reaches those on the other side of the wall.

Step Five

At 4 a.m. on Saturday, Héctor returns to his kitchen to check on his pots of menudo.

By this time, they’re ready for the garlic and the guajillo chile blend—the key to that deep red color that defines a good menudo. Salt is added to taste, and the soup is left to boil for a couple more hours.

Enjoy!

By 8 a.m., when the first customer walks in, the menudo will be ready—and delicious.

You can fix it up your own way: add chopped onion, oregano, or an extra sprinkle of chile powder, and enjoy it with toasted bread, a squeeze of lime, and a refreshing iced tea.

Héctor, after a long night preparing the menudo, smiles, cracks jokes, and weaves between tables, greeting customers and making everyone who walks through the doors of Jalisco Café feel right at home.