El Paso, Texas – Along the U.S.-Mexico border, menudo is more than a soup. The hearty red-chile tripe stew is a familiar Sunday staple, one that carries with it family traditions, local flavor, and a deep sense of place.
Across most of Mexico, menudo usually comes with a warm stack of corn tortillas. But in El Paso and other border towns, one detail sets it apart from the rest of Mexico: el bolillo. This toasted, buttery bread is a small but telling sign of how families make the dish their own.
The bolillo itself is not unique to the region. The crusty roll traces its roots back to the French intervention in the 19th century, when Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg arrived in Mexico with French bakers, butchers and cheesemakers…