A truly Texan take on the chili cook-off is coming to San Antonio this March, and this is sure to be one cooking competition and tasting event you don’t want to miss. Menudo Madness, the first-ever menudo festival and cooking competition, is coming to the Moonlight Ballroom on March 10. Get your tickets now, because this one is sure to sell out quickly.
Menudo Madness was organized by Luis Vazquez, Isaac Soto, and Rudy Gonzalez. The trio wanted to bring their love of menudo to the San Antonio area, calling the festival a “no-brainer.” Menudo is a traditional Mexican soup made from tripe (beef stomach) and a red chili pepper broth. Traditional menudo recipes feature hominy, lime, onions, and oregano, but many contemporary cooks add their own ingredients and flavors to make this time-honored dish their own. Historically, menudo was served at large social gatherings such as wedding receptions, but today the dish is enjoyed year-round and served at eateries throughout the southwest.
Menudo Madness will feature recipes from both individual amateur competitors and chefs from local restaurants. The event space has enough room for 40 different competitors and vendors, so there is sure to be a wide variety of menudo served at the event. Along with the traditional Mexican soup, attendees can enjoy live Tejano music and live lucha libre wrestling matches. Nothing goes with menudo quite like pro wrestling!
Interested vendors or anyone with their own special menudo recipe can register for a space through the Menudo Madness website. There is a $100 fee for all vendors. Menudo will be judged according to various criteria, and organizers expect there to be several different prizes awarded for different takes on this traditional dish.
All-access tickets to this event will go on sale February 1, 2019 and are expected to be around $20 per person. Tickets can be purchased through the Menudo Madness website or in person at either Moonlight Ballroom or at the Sabor! Cocina Mexicana.
Menudo Madness will take place from 12 to 4 p.m. on March 10, 2019 at the Moonlight Ballroom at 7711 Guilbeau Rd.
