Posole
Hominy is the star of posole, a hearty Mexican stew loaded with chiles. While canned hominy is readily available, dried white corn hominy from Rancho Gordo has a superior flavor and toothsome texture that I love. I’ve long sung the praises of Rancho Gordo’s top quality products, and this heirloom prepared hominy is no different.
Posole Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups dried hominy
- 3 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch cubes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 large yellow onions, minced
- 1 fennel bulb diced
- 1 serrano chile, minced
- 6 garlic cloves, halved
- 1 cup freshly ground red chile powder
- 3 tablespoons dried mint
- 3 tablespoons Mexican oregano
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 cups halved fresh tomatillos
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons minced chipotles chiles canned in adobo
- 4 quarts chicken stock (preferably homemade)
- Minced red onion, cilantro leaves, diced avocado and quartered limes, for garnish
Instructions
SERVINGS: 8
Place hominy in a large container; cover with cold water. Refrigerate 24 hours. Drain; reserve.
Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large (8-quart-plus) pot over medium heat until smoking and hot. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding pan, brown pork 5 to 7 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Transfer pork to a large plate. Add onions to pot, saute 3 to 5 minutes or until golden. Add fennel and serrano, saute 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in chile powder, mint, oregano and cumin; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in tomatillos, tomatoes, chipotles and pork. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in hominy and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. Cook 2 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or until pork is almost tender and hominy almost perfectly chewy—kernels will have burst open for the most part by this time.
Season and continue to cook for 15 to 30 minutes or until pork is fork-tender. Add more stock or water, if needed (posole should be looser than stew, but sturdier than brothy soup). Serve in bowls accompanied by garnishes.
