Pozole for Las Posadas

One reason I enjoy trying new recipes is that that they have a great capacity to connect people. When I eat food from other countries I feel like I have a little better understanding of different cultures and their traditional foods. For the December meeting of our neighborhood cooking group, we shared several dishes representing holiday traditions around the world. We had a feast of Jewish, German, Swedish, African, Finnish, Mexican and French foods.

This was just the opportunity I needed. For a while, I have been wanting to make pozole, a Mexican pork and hominy stew that has been eaten for something like 500 years. Lots of Latinos eat pozole during their celebration of Las Posadas, which is celebrated December 16-24. The pozole I made was quite tasty with ultra-tender pieces of pork, a broth laden with the flavors or chilies and cumin, the wonderful toothy texture of the hominy, and the crunch of various fresh toppings. It was also fairly quick to make in my pressure cooker. Pozole is served along with several toppings such as sliced radishes, shredded cabbage or lettuce, cilantro, and lime so everyone gets to customize their soup experience. This, along with the fact you can make a big batch easily, makes it great for a party.


Before cooking I started, as usual, by checking out a variety of sources online and found some promising recipes.

• Epicurious' Holiday Pork Posole
• Fiesta Kitchen's Pozole
• Reluctant Gourmet's Classic Posole

I used the recipes to learn about common ingredients, their proportions, and techniques for cooking, but ended up kinda doing my own thing. I made it mild since my kids were eating it and served it with some Cholula hot sauce for those who like it hot. For a more authentic version, soak some ancho chilies in water or broth, remove seeds and stems; then puree them and the soaking liquid and toss it into your posole. Here is my more gringo-friendly rendition:

POZOLE
Serves 8-10

1 Tbs. olive oil
3 lbs. pork shoulder, cut into 2" cubes (save the bones)

2 medium onions, chopped

2 poblano chiles, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

3-4 tsp. dried oregano

2-3 tsp. cumin

1-2 Tbs. chili powder

½ tsp. hot Mexican chile powder

3—14 oz. cans chicken stock

1—14 oz. can diced tomatoes

Salt and pepper

2—30 oz cans hominy

Garnishes: slivered radishes, shredded savoy cabbage, cubed avocado, diced onion, chopped fresh cilantro, crispy corn strips (see below), lime wedges

Dry meat off with paper towels; generously salt and pepper it. Heat oil in heavy bottomed dutch oven (I used my pressure cooker). When hot, brown meat in batches. Remove to a plate. Toss onion, peppers, and garlic into the pan and cook until golden, adding a little more oil if needed. 


Return meat to pan. Add 2 cans stock, tomatoes with juice, 2 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. cumin, and Mexican chili powder. Simmer over medium-low heat for 2-3 hours, until meat it tender but still holds its shape (25 minutes in a pressure cooker). Add hominy, remaining seasonings and the other can of stock if desired. Salt and pepper to taste. 


Serve piping hot with garnishes of your choice.




CRISPY CORN STRIPS
Cut a stack of soft corn tortillas in half then into 1/4" wide strips (1 tortilla for every 2-3 people or so). Toss them on a baking sheet with a little olive oil. Spread them out and lightly salt. Bake in a 375° oven until crispy (some with be browned), about 6-8 minutes. Cool.