Pozole

This weekend it was cold and we thought, Pozole would taste good.

Here's my recipe:

First, prepare the corn (posole, pozole, hominy or whatever you want to call it):  Available from Santa Fe School of Cooking or lots of other places.

Put 2 2/3 cups dry pozole in a big pot, cover with three inches of water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for two hours (if using slow cooker), or three hours (if in a hurry).  Drain well.

Next, get your other stuff ready:

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/2 pounds of pork loin  (chops or roast), well trimmed of fat  (this is healthy posole)
2 medium to large onions
2 to 12 garlic cloves (you know your garlic tolerance)
8 to 10 or so small red potatoes, quartered
1 12 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 TBS Chimayo El Potrero Trading Post Medium hot ground chiles)  (505-351-4112--call them, great folks)
2+ TBS Chimayo El Potrero Trading Post Mild hot ground chiles)
1 tsp comino (ground cumin)
6 to 8 cups chicken broth
cilantro
salt
ground pepper
fresh limes, lots of limes

As the posole corn begins to cook,

1. Dice the pork loin into cubes (3/4 inch or so, this is homestyle, not top chef)
2.  Put in bowl, toss with the 1 TBS medium hot ground chile--use more if you like it hotter. Cover and set aside or refrigerate.
 3. Chop onions, set aside.

If using the slow cooker method (either a slow cooker or slow simmer on stovetop):

1.  After two hours of simmering the posole corn, brown the pork over medium high heat till browned, in a little olive oil.  When browned, put in bowl and set aside.

2.  Add a little more oil and add minced garlic  (always mince at the last minute before adding, so it doesn't turn bitter), saute a little bit, and add the two chopped onions.  Saute till just becoming soft.

3. Return the pork to the pot, dump in the cooked posole, tomatoes and the potatoes, and add at least 6 cups chicken stock. More if it doesn't cover    Add 2 TBS of Chimayo mild Chile and 1 tps of ground comino.  (more or less, depending on your taste.  This makes a mild pozole).  Stir well.

4. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, add salt and pepper to taste, and cover and simmer for a couple of hours or more, checking and stirring from time to time. Check after an hour for liquid level; add more chicken stock or water if it's not above the level of the meat/pozole. I used about seven or eight cups of chicken broth--it depends on your evaporation rate and cooking time.  Also, you can adjust flavors after an hour or so--add more chile if too mild.

5. When ready, serve in bowls, topping with chopped cilantro, and garnished with lime wedges (at least a half a lime per bowl).  Squeeze the lime juice into the soup and enjoy with hot corn tortillas, fresh avocado, tomato.

Hearty and warming on a cold day.

I use an All Clad Deluxe Slow Cooker  with a cast iron insert, that allows for stove top browning of meat and veggies.  After putting all the ingredients together, I cooked on low for four hours, then kept it warm for two, till dinner.  Superb.  It also refrigerates well and improves day by day to at least day three.  (recipe makes a lot, enough for at least four meals for two people).

If you don't have this slow cooker, I'd put it all in a soup kettle and simmer till it's ready.  Just check from time to time.

You can also do a quick version by using canned hominy, but you'd need to be  really pressed for time (or desperate).  I like the firmness of the corn when using fresh.

Salud

Br. Pasqual