Tuesday’s Cupful: Menudo

Three hot interpretations
Do you like menudo? Yes, there’s the popular Latin American boy band that’s been around since the 1980s; in fact, Ricky Martin was once the youngest member of the music group’s line-up. You might already know that menudo is also two distinctive dishes in the Philippines and Mexico. The word “menudo” usually means small in Spanish. These two former Spanish colonies offer up a pork belly stew and a beef tripe soup that we suggest you try. Both dishes are a traditional, rustic, and familial meal in each country. The meat ingredients in each type of menudo are cooked until tender. The subtle gamey flavor and chewy texture of boiled beef tripe makes Mexican menudo an acquired taste. Meanwhile, Filipino menudo has the fatty pork belly pieces that are loaded with flavor.

Helpful Hint: Look for canned Mexican menudo in the international foods aisle of most supermarkets.