No Menudo!

Sorry folks but just found this at e-gullet and thought about all those suffering west coast hangover folks. Woder how long it will be before i see another bowl of Menudo!

NEW: Tripas ban in effect starting today

By Amy Dorsett
Express-News Staff Writer

A ban on tripas, a savory dish enjoyed across South Texas, went into effect today, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Tripas, which come from the small intestine of a cow, was declared a high-risk meat by the Agriculture Department, following the first discovery last month of mad cow disease in the country.

The USDA announced the ban two weeks ago, but it had to be published in the Federal Register before it could go into effect — a process that usually takes many weeks.

“This was on a fast track,” said Matt Baun, a USDA spokesman. “Our time frame all along was as soon as possible.”

As of today, no USDA-approved slaughterhouses would be producing tripas. Restaurants that had received the meat before today could sell their supply, Baun said.

The tripas ban is part of the USDA's aggressive campaign to deal with the case of mad cow disease in the Northwest, which was reported Dec. 9.

Other cow parts affected are the spinal cord. In addition, cow brains, tonsils and eyeballs, can only be sold for meat if the parts came from a cow less than 30 months old.

adorsett@express-news.net

So, beef lips are okay, then. There will not be a Slim Jim recall today.

They were serving up yesterday at the Spanish Flower! Saw several people having it for lunch.

quote:

Originally posted by tiki

Tripas, which come from the small intestine of a cow, was declared a high-risk meat by the Agriculture Department

Hmmmm, well thats interesting .... cause I personally delcared it a high-risk meat many years ago !!! And I'm still alive an kicking to prove it !!!

Ahh man, and I really liked a good bowl of menudo too. dang!

quote:

Originally posted by MikeSh

Ahh man, and I really liked a good bowl of menudo too. dang!

Until it's legal again, you will just have to wait a menudo.

Hoo boy - the title to this thread scared me - I thought you meant Ricky Martin's old singing group from the early 80's - the one that replaced its members when they turned 16.

Someone was going to say it sooner or later. Might as well have been me.

Dearfolk,
The catchword here is "supo," not "grupo." Actually, the word is usually "sopa," but I've heard "supo" used in Florida. The "grupo" is from Puerto Rico.
This also means no tripe a la Caen, the delicacy that comes from that one region of France... although I suppose one caen go there to enjoy it!
My question is - is canned tripe affected? After all, it's cooked before canning, and when used in menudo, is cooked again. Or will that be recalled? If so, everybody'd better stock up now.
Ah, me - another gustatory pleasure gone. First the health inspectors eschew the use of pits for barbecue, and now Mad Cow Disease. I'll really worry when something happens to my livermush supply... or when okra develop a mutancy that, when eaten, leads to degeneracy of one type or another in its eater(s). If that came to be, I suppose I'd have to live on tomatoes, until they develop a fungus that threatens humans....
Disjointedly (From Mad Okra Disease?), Ort. Carlton in Menudoless Athens, Georgia.

Prions, which are the cause of the problem with BSE (bovine spongiform encephelitis) are not affected by cooking, so I'm pretty sure canned tripe will also be banned.

But they haven't mentioned tongue in any of their bans, have they? Is that still okay? I sure hope so.

quote:

Originally posted by Grampy

quote:

Originally posted by MikeSh

Ahh man, and I really liked a good bowl of menudo too. dang!

Until it's legal again, you will just have to wait a menudo.

Or maybe a secundo.

I think we might be a little confused about this ban.

'Tripas' is the Spanish word for beef small intestine, which the same food as 'chittlins', only 'chittlins' are pork small intestine. They are used, seasoned and grilled on a comal, all over Northern Mexico and South Texas in a dish called 'Tacos de Tripas'. They are not used in the making of 'Menudo'. which is made from the four chambered stomach of cattle, called 'mondongo' in Spanish and 'tripe' in both English and French (pronounced treeep).

I believe that he problem stems from the similarity in spelling (but not meaning) between 'tripas' and 'tripe.' Tripe is also widely available in cajun country where I currently reside.

Having lived in Mexico and South Texas, I can attest to the fact that 'Menudo' is consumed every Sunday brunch by millions of hungover or just hungry Tejanos,Mexicans, and converted Anglos. It would scarcely be possible to enforce a ban on 'tripe' in these parts(should it ever occur) any more than on marijuana; though it may be possible to enforce one on 'tripas' since they aren't quite so popular.

Incidently, both 'Tacos de Tripas' and 'Menudo' are extremely delicious when expertly prepared. 'Menudo' is especially addicting and I can personally verify that it is a marvelous cure for both hangovers and the 'gripa'.

Rick Miller
Cajun Country

quote:

Originally posted by rwmiller

I think we might be a little confused about this ban.

'Tripas' is the Spanish word for beef small intestine, which the same food as 'chittlins', only 'chittlins' are pork small intestine. They are used, seasoned and grilled on a comal, all over Northern Mexico and South Texas in a dish called 'Tacos de Tripas'. They are not used in the making of 'Menudo'. which is made from the four chambered stomach of cattle, called 'mondongo' in Spanish and 'tripe' in both English and French (pronounced treeep).

I believe that he problem stems from the similarity in spelling (but not meaning) between 'tripas' and 'tripe.' Tripe is also widely available in cajun country where I currently reside.

Having lived in Mexico and South Texas, I can attest to the fact that 'Menudo' is consumed every Sunday brunch by millions of hungover or just hungry Tejanos,Mexicans, and converted Anglos. It would scarcely be possible to enforce a ban on 'tripe' in these parts(should it ever occur) any more than on marijuana; though it may be possible to enforce one on 'tripas' since they aren't quite so popular.

Incidently, both 'Tacos de Tripas' and 'Menudo' are extremely delicious when expertly prepared. 'Menudo' is especially addicting and I can personally verify that it is a marvelous cure for both hangovers and the 'gripa'.

Rick Miller
Cajun Country

Rick

I was at an El Salvadorean place on Saturday and notice Sopa de Mondongo, which was served only on Saturday. So I ordered it. I thought that mondongo might be tripe -- I noticed a lot of people eating soup in the restuarant -- but couldn't tell whether or not they had tripe in the bowl.

When I got the soup I had big chunks of latticed, almost fuzzy "meat", which I tought was a strange tripe, until you pointd out that it was stomach. My wife insisted it couldn't be eaten and was only added for flavor. I tried some, but I like tripe better -- at least the kind served with Pho.

I never used to like tripe, but on occasion I've found I liked it.

The restaurant in question was an old-style El Salvadorean restaurant, located on the corder in the Mount Pleasant district of Washington, DC. Wish I could remember the name ....

Thanks for the helpful post.