We went to Cafe Bonita for dinner. The boys shared a quesadilla, Em ate a huge plate of rice, and I had menudo. When I ordered it, Mandy said, "Are you serious?"
"Yeah," I said.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I know what tripe is."
"I just don't think you'll like it."
"If I don't like it, I won't eat it."
Always looking out for me, she said, "Well, OK. I'll have the cooks make a little bit for you to taste."
So the cooks made a little bit for me to taste, and I tasted it, and it was good. I love hominy, and the broth had an almost velvety consistency to it, a real fatty mouth-feel. And the tripe, well...the tripe tasted...tripe-y. I guess. It's more a texture than a taste, like octopus or squid tentacles, but more tender, less chewy. I figured I may as well try it. And I tried it, and as I was chewing, I kept up a constant monologue in my head, "Tripe is brains, right? No, maybe it's intestines. Which would I rather eat? Brains or intestines? Is it stomach? No, intestines. Maybe stomach. Would I rather eat stomach, brains, or intestines?" Turns out I guess I'd rather not eat stomach, though I ate the whole bowlful. And now I can say I tried it, though I'm not sure how "authentic" it was (sorry Dominica) because I read on wikipedia that menudo is characterized by the hominy, the tripe, and the chili powder paste. There was definitely no chili powder in this menudo. It was quite mild. Maybe a regional variation?
Anyway. I've tried menudo. Have you?
3 comments:
No-never quite had the "guts" Ho, ho ho.
it's the stomach lining, isn't it? I've never had menudo. And why would a boys band name their group after hominy and intestine anyway?
momma_dee: Apparently I don't have the guts for it either; dealt with mild triparrhea the following morning.
gnightgirl: I think the boys' band name is a reference for the tendency to throw everything but the kitchen sink into your menudo: it's a hodgepodge, a mix of this and that, as long as it isn't over 18 years of age.
Post a Comment