Posole

I shared my blog with some co-workers today and got called out for slacking! (You know who you are!) So since we’ll be on vacation over the next week, I’m going to take the time to de-slack and repost some older recipes and some recipes that I’ve had on draft for a while. Hope y’all enjoy.

Posole (or pozole) is a Mexican stew. It’s identifying factor is that no matter what kind of meat is used or what else is added to it, it contains hominy – kernels of dried corn that have been nixtamalized, or soaked in an alkali mixture, to make them puffy and soft. Like most Mexican dishes, there are regional variations to be found anywhere you go along the Southwest border of the US. There’s a Tex-Mex version, a New Mexico-Mex version, an Arizona-Mex version, and even creeping up into Colorado and Utah, you can find local versions. Of course everyone insists that their version is “authentic” and the only way to make “real” posole.

I’m not going to say that about mine. First of all, it contains (gasp) canned Ro-Tel and hominy. Second of all, I’m pretty sure my mother-in-law got the recipe from the Phoenix newspaper sometime back in the 1950s (hence the canned components).

Still, authentic or not, it meets the basic definition of posole and it’s been a family favorite for decades. Here’s the recipe and I hope you enjoy it, too.

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Posole

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 lb pork loin cut into 1" chunks
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 10-oz cans Rotel
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 each bay leaves
• 2 30-oz cans hominy drained and rinsed

Instructions

• Brown pork in a couple of tablespoons of oil over medium high heat until you have a nice sear on the pieces, but not until they’re cooked through. Remove and set aside.
• Add the onions and cook until they just turn transparent (5 mins) then add the garlic and cook another 1-2 mins until fragrant.
• Return the pork to the pot and add the remaining ingredients except the hominy, giving it a good stir. Bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 45 mins to 1 hour
• Add the hominy to the pot about 15-20 mins before serving just to let it heat through.

Notes

This recipe can be easily doubled and, in my opinion, is even better when made a day early and allowed to sit overnight in the fridge for the flavors to meld. Serve with avocado, sour cream, wedges of lime, or chopped cilantro.

The recipe can also be halved to serve fewer people, but it freezes well and will keep for up to a year frozen. So even if I’m only making it for the two of us, I often make a full batch and freeze half in lunch sized portions..