Posole

6 Servings
PREP TIME: 30 min
COOK TIME: 2 hr
This dish is even better when served the next day.
2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano, plus more for garnish
1 to 2 tablespoons canned chipotle chiles in adobo
  sauce puréed with 4 tablespoons water
Two 30-ounce cans hominy
1 bay leaf
2 medium onions, 1 finely chopped, 1 diced
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, stemmed, plus 2 tablespoons chopped
6 radishes, thinly sliced
1 large or 2 small ripe Hass avocados, diced
2 limes, cut into wedges
Corn tortillas, warmed in the oven

1. In a large, heavy saucepan or enameled cast-iron casserole, combine the pork, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano and chipotle puree (to control the spiciness, start with 1 tablespoon; you can always add more later). Add the liquid from the canned hominy along with the bay leaf and enough water to just cover the meat (about 2 cups). Bring the soup to a boil and skim off any foam that comes to the surface. Reduce the heat, add the finely chopped onion and cook the soup, covered, at a low simmer for 1 hour.
2. Add the hominy to the soup, turn the heat up a little and cook, uncovered, at moderately low heat until the pork is tender and the liquid has thickened slightly but is still soupy, about 50 minutes. (Posole is typically eaten with a spoon. If the soup becomes too thick, you can add water to recover that delicious broth.) Ten minutes before the soup is done, stir in the chopped garlic. Before serving, add the chopped cilantro.
3. Assemble dishes of cilantro leaves, diced onion, dried oregano, sliced radishes and diced avocado; let guests garnish their own steaming bowls of posole. Serve with the lime wedges (for squeezing over the posole) and the warm tortillas on the side.

Authentic Mexican Pozole Recipe #196233

SERVES 10

1 1/2 lbs pork shoulder
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons california chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
4 cups canned white hominy, drained and rinsed
3-5 cups pork broth, from cooking pork shoulder
1 cup canned diced green chilis (optional)
salt
2 whole fresh jalapenos, chopped (optional)
3 whole ancho chilies, seeded and stemmed (optional or garnish)
This recipe requires a simple prep.
Prepare the onion, peel the garlic, chop the onion, peel and chop the 2 garlic cloves, chop the green chilies and jalapenos if you are using them and get the hominy drained and rinsed.
I boil my ancho chilies in a separate small pot for the garnish part(read below).
Now you are ready to cook.
Place the meat in a large saucepan and just cover with lightly salted water.
Add the onion, 2 cloves peeled garlic, pepper, cumin, and oregano.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, skim off any foam that rises, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
Remove meat and broth, reserving both.
Saute the chopped onion and garlic in oil until translucent.
Add the remaining spices, stir for a minute.
Cut the reserved pork into 1 inch cubes and add to the pan.
Stir in the canned hominy, pork broth (if there is not enough pork broth, add chicken stock, I like to add it anyway for flavor, about 2-4 cups, eyeball the amount you like), green chilies and jalapenos (optional).
Cook at a simmer, covered, for 45 to 60 minutes until the meat and hominy are tender.
If necessary, cook for up to an additional 60 minutes until the chilies and onions are well blended into the broth.
Degrease the stew, taste for salt, and serve in soup bowls.
This is a delicious recipe and well worth the effort to make.
Garnishes that are always served with are:.
lots of lime/lemon wedges.
sliced radishes.
chopped cilantro.
Shredded cabbage(not red).
fresh/ packaged fried corn tortillas.
When my ancho chilies are soft from boiling(takes about 15 minutes), then i put them in the blender with 1 1/2cups of water, 1 clove of garlic and about 2 tablespoons diced onion, and about 1 tablespoons of salt and pepper. I blend this thin, then strain it to get the liquid separated from its "pulp". I throw the pulp into the soup for the flavor i like but you can discard if too spicy for you. The remaining liquid you put in a serving dish for guests to add in their own bowl, if desired. Beware! It's HOT!

Basic Recipe, Gourmet Sleuth

Traditional pozole is made with meat from a pigs head.  This version uses pork stew meat.


i n g r e d i e n t s
2 tablespoons corn oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled and chopped
2 pounds pork stew meat, cut into cubes
homemade chicken stock
4 ancho chiles, seeded and deveined, soaked in hot water until soft
4 guajillo chiles, seeded and deveined, soaked in hot water until soft
4 cascabel chiles, seeded and deveined, soaked in hot water until soft
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried thyme
8 cups prepared pozole (nixtamal). You can make your own or purchase precleaned, dried pozole
Garnish:
Lime wedges,   Chopped onion, Shredded lettuce   Dried oregano

d i r e c t i o n s
In a large stockpot, heat the oil, add the onion and garlic, and sauté until the onion is transparent. Add the meat and the chicken stock to cover. The amount of stock used will depend on how thick a pozole is desired; more may be added with the hominy later on. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and cook until the pork is tender.

Meanwhile, puree the softened chiles with just enough broth to allow movement of the blender blades.

Add the chile puree, marjoram, thyme and hominy and continue cooking until the hominy is tender. This will require less time if canned hominy is used.

Serve the hot pozole in deep bowls, with separate bowls of garnish ingredients on the table so that diners can add their own.



Chicken Pozole

INGREDIENTS
1 whole chicken, 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 pounds, cut into parts
Salt
1 red onion, sliced in half
One large 6-pound 9-ounce can of hominy, drained and rinsed
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled
1 to 2 Tbsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano if you have it)
Garnishes
1/4 whole cabbage, thinly sliced
1 tomato, cored, chopped
1 avocado, peeled, chopped
1 red onion, peeled, chopped
1 large bunch cilantro, chopped
1 large bunch watercress, chopped
Mexican cheese, Queso Fresco, sliced
Several red radishes, thinly sliced
2 limes, cut into wedges
Chopped seeded jalapeno or serrano chiles, or other chile peppers
Tostadas or tortilla chips

METHOD
1 Place chicken pieces in a large pot, cover with about 3 quarts of water. Add one onion, sliced in half, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 20-30 minutes.
2 Remove chicken from pot, let cool so that it is cool enough to handle. Use a fork to pull chicken meat away from the bones. Set the meat aside and return the bones to the stock pot. Continue to simmer the bones, uncovered, for another half an hour.
 
 
3 Take 4 cups of the hominy (about half of the can) and place into a blender. Scoop 2 cups of the chicken stock from the stock pot and add it to the blender. Add 4 peeled cloves of garlic to the blender. Place the lid on the blender, cover with a towel so that you don't get burned, hold down the cover and blend until completely puréed.
4 Skim foam and excess fat from the top of the surface of the stock. Remove the bones and any solids from the stock pot and discard. Pour in the blended hominy to the pot. Add the remaining whole hominy to the pot. Add 2 Tbsp of crumbled dried oregano. Bring to a simmer and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
5 While the hominy is cooking in the stock, prepare the garnishes. Arrange on a large platter or in several small bowls. Right before serving, shred or chop the cooked chicken meat and add it back to the pot. Add salt to taste.
Serve pozole in individual bowls topped with the garnishes of your choice. Serve with tostadas (flat fried corn tortillas) or tortilla chips.
Serves 6.




Carol Munder's Posole, Christmas 2008, Sugarloaf Key, made with grouper and shrimp instead of pork, dried hominy, chicken broth.