Posole

http://www.denverpost.com/food/ci_24736547/posole-recipes-making-this-terrific-winter-warmer-at

Posole: Recipes for making this terrific winter warmer at home

By William Porter
The Denver Post

Posted:   12/18/2013 12:01:00 AM MST

The recent spell of single-digit temperatures along the Front Range, brutal enough to numb body parts and leave you chipping rime ice off the dog, has sent many of us scurrying to the kitchen for something — anything — warm and welcoming. For me, it's posole. This classic hominy-based stew of Mexico and the American Southwest, also known as pozole, is one of the great homey dishes of the world. It boasts depths of flavors and a mix of inviting textures. Properly garnished, it can also be visually dazzling. Posole is deeply rooted in Mexico, with a long pre-Columbian history and links to Aztec religious rituals. It is made from nixtamalized corn, a process in which the shucked kernels are cooked in an alkaline solution, often limewater, until they soften and puff. You can start with dried posole, which must be soaked and cooked in a pressure cooker, or you can take a shortcut with canned hominy. Some sort of meat-and-chile combo rounds out the dish's basics, but the garnishes and spicing range far and wide. I was introduced to posole in another lifetime by a young woman who had grown up on a cattle ranch near Estancia, N.M. She could cook as well as she sang, and she sang like an angel. The secret to her posole was toasted coriander seed, which added a unique note to a dish that can veer toward the bland unless you have a properly bold hand. But posole recipes are made to be played with, with ingredients coming and going depending on one's mood. They are akin to chile dishes that way: highly individual, even idiosyncratic, reflecting the mood of the day and even the weather. Writing about this dish feels appropriate at this time of year. I first encountered it when I was living in Arizona, where posole is a Christmas Eve tradition for many. Dig in, and happy holidays. Posole (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post) William Porter: 303-954-1877, wporter@ denverpost.com or twitter.com/williamporterdp Pork Posole with Green Chiles This is a classic New Mexican posole, with a nice balance of hominy, pork and green chiles. By William Porter. Serves 8-10. Ingredients 2½ pounds pork butt 5 quarts water 1 head garlic, halved, plus 4 additional cloves peeled 5 bay leaves 2 white onions, peeled and quartered 1 medium-sized (29-ounce) can posole or white hominy 2 tablespoons Mexican oregano 1 teaspoon coriander seed 1 teaspoon cumin 1 pound roasted green chiles (preferably Hatch), diced Cilantro, 8 sprigs Salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste Directions In a large pot, put the pork, water, garlic, bay leaves and onions. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for about2 hours until the pork grows tender and falls apart. During this time, skim any impurities from the surface of the water. Remove the pork and let cool. Shred or dice into ½ -inch cubes. Remove the bay leaves and set aside the garlic and onions. Add more water to the pot if needed. In a colander, drain and rinse hominy. Add it to the pot along with the oregano and coriander seed. Put the onions, garlic, cumin, green chiles and cilantro in a blender. Purée with some of the pork broth. Return purée to the hominy pot along with the shredded pork. Season to taste with salt and pepper for another 15 minutes. Garnish as you wish and serve. Vegetarian Posole with Red Chile This recipe comes courtesy of two people, one no longer with us, the other very much alive. The late Clayton Oden developed this recipe for the Corn Dance Cafe in Santa Fe, which he ran with his mother, Loretta Barrett Oden. The latter shared it with my longtime friend Judy Walker, who is the food editor at the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the newspaper where the recipe first ran. Serves 10-12. Ingredients 12 dried long red New Mexico chiles 1-2 tablespoons olive oil ½ head of garlic, peeled, chopped Large pinch of Mexican oregano ½ large onion, chopped 1 30-ounce can white hominy, drained and rinsed Salt to taste Garnishes (see list above) Directions Rinse chiles lightly if dusty. Break open the chiles and remove the seeds and veins. Dry roast on a griddle or in a skillet, pressing down with spatula until they sizzle and soften a bit. Put the chiles in a medium-sized pot. Cover with fresh water and gently boil until chiles are soft. Let cool. In food processor or blender, mix the chiles and just enough water to form a paste. Strain. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Sweat the garlic, oregano, onion and salt until onions are translucent. Add the posole, cover with water and simmer 30 minutes. When the posole is softened, add it to the chile and cook on low for 15-20 minutes, until the mixture reaches a hard simmer. To serve, ladle the posole into bowls and serve with the garnishes of your choice. Posole garnishes A bowl of posole can be garnished any number of ways. Among the traditional toppings: Sliced radishes Lime wedges Shredded green cabbage Fresh cilantro Diced scallions Toasted corn tortilla strips Posole on the menu OK, so you're not inclined to make posole at home, but are still jonesing for a big steaming bowl of this Mexican-style hominy. A number of Denver restaurants ladle up fine bowls of the stuff. Here's a short but by no means complete list. Tamale Kitchen, 5650 Washington St., 303-298-0418, thetamalekitchen.com Jack 'n' Grill, 2524 Federal Blvd., 303-964-9544, Jackngrill.com Adelita's Cocina y Cantina, 1294 S. Broadway, 303-778-1294, adelitasdenver.com Tia Maria, 7260 Pecos St., 303-427-2572, tiamariamexicanrestaurant.com Tarasco's New Latino Cuisine, 470 S. Federal Blvd. 303-922-2387 Los Dos Toros, 2600 W. Alameda Ave,, 303-934-2859

Another Posole recipe.
Posole is a wonderful Southwestern dish. I wish I remember where this recipe came from, but I do not and cannot give credit where it is due.


Ingredients:

2 pounds diced boneless pork
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cups flour

1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon crushed dried oregano
1 tablespoon granulated garlic or fresh garlic
½ tablespoon salt
58 ounces white or golden hominy
2 pounds roasted peeled, chopped green chilies

 Directions:

1. Combine flour and spices in a large bowl. Roll diced pork in flour mixture then shake off the excess. Set aside.
2. In a large heavy stockpot heat olive oil until very hot. Add the pork and brown until crisp on the outside. Do not drain.
3. Add the hominy. Do not drain. Fill one can with water and add to the pan.
4. Bring the pork and hominy to a rolling boil then reduce heat to low. Add the green chiles and diced onion and cook for 1 hour.
5. Serve with fine chopped fresh cilantro, fine chopped green onion and fresh lime.
    Serves 8
   1 tablespoon(s) black pepper
   1 tablespoon(s) crushed dried oregeno
   1 tablespoon(s) granulated garlic or fresh crushed garlic
   1/2 tablespoon(s) salt
   58 ounce(s) white or golden hominy
   2 pound(s) roasted, peeled, chopped Young Guns Hatch Green Chile
   
   Directions:
   1. Combine flour and spices in a large bowl. Roll diced pork in flour mixture then shake off the excess flour. Set aside.
   2. In a large heavy stockpot or cast iron Dutch oven, melt the crisco until very hot. Add the pork and brown until crisp on the outside. Do not drain.
   3. Add 2 cans of hominy. Do not drain. Fill one can with water and add to pan.
   4. Bring pork and hominy to a rolling boil then reduce heat to low. Add Fire Roasted Diced Young Guns Hatch Green Chile and diced onion and cook for 1 hour.
   5. Serve with fine chopped fresh cilantro; fine chopped fresh green onion and fresh lime.
   
   Serves 8.