Mexican Menudo Demystified: Growing up in the Boyle Heights district of Los Angeles, which has one of the most heavily populated Mexican communities outside of Mexico City, had many advantages including being near some of the best Mexican cuisine in the world.
On seemingly every corner in Boyle Heights, visitors will find a Mexican restaurant, tortilleria, taco and burrito stand and most importantly, the sidewalk taco vendor, which can whip up a half-dozen, or so, beef, pork, carnitas, or for the more adventurous muncher, tongue, brain or tripe tacos.
Another thing you will find in Boyle Heights is restaurants that make their own, unique style of Mexican menudo. Along with the base dish, these menudo mavens will supply you with all the fixings needed to make your serving complete including lemon slices, diced onions, oregano, chili powder, tapatio and of course, fresh, hand-made tortillas.
The two main styles of menudo are the red and white versions, which refer to the color of the broth. The white menudo is a more bland tasting dish, but if made correctly, is still very tasty. The red is a bit spicier, evident by the rich, red color of the broth that has been infused with a red chili sauce and spices. The choice of chili is up to the cook. As with any other food, some like it hot and others a bit more mild.
Pig feet are common in some versions, as is the honeycomb menudo that is a bit more expensive than the standard menudo. Hominy is a matter or choice with some menudo makers. Some like loads of hominy, which is a simple corn meal product and others like very little or none at all.