Introduction to Menudo

Menudo is among the most popular dishes in Mexico and even more so in the northern region of the country. The dish, called pancita in central Mexico or mondongo in the Yucatan Peninsula, is based around a broth made with beef belly. It differs from there depending on where it’s being made.

In the north, especially in the border states, it is prepared with red chile. In states such as Jalisco and Michoacán, the so-called “menudo blanco” is more common, without chile in the broth. Some people also add mint to it with the idea that it will be lighter for the stomach.

Regardless of the variant, the dish is served with chopped onion, oregano, lemon and chili powder.

Regional Variations

Variations include the addition of hominy to eat it as pozole, mainly in the northern states. Accompaniments also change by region, with those in the north enjoying menudo with bread and in the south, tortillas.

Many families and restaurants serve it on weekends in the morning, making it a tradition after nights of celebration. It is considered an infallible remedy for hangovers due to its combination of fat, protein and spices.

Freshly prepared menudo norteño is topped with lime, onions and oregano at Francisco and Norma Fraga’s home in Irving on April 1. (Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer )

Cultural Significance

It is common to see large menudo pots at family gatherings, for the festivals involving patron saints and at local fairs. Its preparation and consumption reflect the importance of sharing food as an act of union and celebration in Mexican culture.

The cooking process for menudo is long and meticulous, with its several hours-long cooking process to develop a smooth and well-concentrated broth.

“It is very delicate. The main thing is cleanliness,” said Francisco Fraga, co-owner of El Viejo del Sombrerón. “The most important job is to wash the menudo; it must be 100% clean because otherwise the smell is very strong, and that’s why many people don’t like it.”

Popular Menudo in Irving

The Fraga family sold menudo out of their garage on Union Bower Road in Irving for a few months. This helped pay the tuition for their daughter, who is studying medicine in Houston.

However, in January, they shut down their business to avoid fines and pivoted to a food truck, which will open this spring at 518 Nursery Road in that city.

The Fraga family found success even simply selling menudo out of their home. Every weekend, a line of people would circle the street to wait for their orders of the homemade concoction.

Francisco and Norma Fraga eat freshly prepared menudo norteño topped with lime, onions and oregano at their home in Irving on April 1. (Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer )

“We would cook 350 pounds of menudo and 80 pounds of meat for pozole, and we would run out of everything,” Fraga said.

The menudo helped the Fragas to supplement their income for decades as they found their way to the United States after emigrating from Minas de Barroteran, a small mining town in the state of Coahuila, 550 miles south of Dallas.

When they came to the United States in 1993, they had a hard time because they didn’t have much money, so they made ends meet by selling food.

Conclusion

Now, 32 years later, they are ready to pamper the palates of all their menudo fans. “We are very flattered. I feel very happy; sometimes I even feel like my heart is fluttering because many people of different nationalities come here,” Gómez said. “For all those people to like our menudo is a source of pride for my family.”

El Viejo del Sombrerón Menudo y Pozole will open this spring at 518 Nursery Road, in Irving. instagram.com/_menudoypozole.