Posole

When we went on our little Ranch Gordo buying spree while in San Francisco last month, Matt picked up a bag of dried hominy. We'd never cooked with it before but he said he wanted to make posole. It just so happened there was a recipe in the latest Cooking Light called Ancho Pork and Hominy Stew that looked pretty darn close to posole to us.

Why have we never had this before? Why have we never had hominy before? It was so good. I really liked the spice mixture, it created such a flavorful broth. The hominy has a great texture & a slightly nutty flavor. This is a recipe you could really play with by adding things like jalapenos or other spicier peppers. Matt says posole is typically served with different toppings like lime juice and avocado so we'll try that next time.

The original recipe called for canned hominy but we used dried so I've given directions on soaking & pre-cooking it. You do need to soak your beans overnight so plan ahead. If you use canned hominy you can skip those steps. I've also cur this recipe in half as the original made 6 servings. Cooking Light called it a stew but in our book this is much more of a soup.

Posole
(adapted from Cooking Light Dec. 09)

1/2 c dried hominy
2 T onion, chopped
1 T ancho chile powder
1 t dried oregano
3/4 t smoked paprika
1/2 t ground cumin
1/4 t salt
10 - 12 oz pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 T olive oil
1 c onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 c red pepper, seeded & chopped
1 1/2 c chicken broth
7 oz fired roasted tomatoes (1/2 a can)

Place the hominy pot & cover with water. Let sit overnight.

Drain the hominy and add a generous amount of fresh water, at least 2 cups. Add the 2 tablespoons onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours (I let ours cook for 3 hours. Some of the hominy will split & it will be slightly al dente.). Let cool in the cooking water. Drain & set aside.

Mix the ancho, oregano, paprika, cumin and salt together. Set aside 1 teaspoon of the spice mixture. Mix the pork with the remaining spice mixture. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the pork & cook for about 5 minutes until browned. Remove the pork from the pot.

Heat the remaining oil in the pot and add the onion, garlic & pepper. Cook until tender. Return the pork to the pot then add the hominy, chicken broth, tomatoes and reserved spice mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, partially cover and let cook for 25 minutes.

Makes 3 - 4 servings

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