Mondongo on a Monday

In nations that are not nearly as wasteful and greedy as the United States, less desirable parts of animals consumed by human beings do not end up in the trash. In Honduras, as in Mexico and other Latin American countries, no organ or extremity of the pig is left unused. A lesser known national dish is called sopa de mondongo, and its primary ingredient is the intestines of un cochino magnifico. It is often eaten on Sunday and on holidays, and is in fact quite a prized dish. I enjoyed it at Profesora Mabel's house, sticking proudly to food writer Anthony Bourdain's mantra of "when in Rome, eat the most gross sounding things that Romans consume." Mabel's invite I took almost as a dare rather than a cordial request, and she was surely shocked that I would even think about trying the stuff (my once vegetarian wife would have nothing to do with it).

The weird thing is, I actually thought the soup was wonderful. Pig intestines are not the oozing, squirmy, gelatinous mass of flavorless fat that one would assume them to be. The guts in my mondongo were chewy and deeply infused with the meaty broth they had been cooked in. The flavor was not as delectable as buffalo wings, to be sure, but not unpleasant in any way. The intestines were rounded out with a generous smattering of dense yucca, tender carrot, soft rice, and a slight hint of garlic, making for a filling and nutritionally balanced meal.

I guess the foods we think we will fear the most can often turn out to be the best. Besides, if I have to eat one more freakin baleada, I am going to go postal on someone here...