Traditional Mexican Pozole

My good friend Kris, owner of the Greenbriar Inn of Coeur d’ Alene, loves this soup. I introduced pozole at a Mexican soup class there and everyone enjoyed the rich robust flavors of this hearty meal in a bowl.      

Making Pozole with ancho chiles and tomatillos

 A Cook With Us recipe
Pozole (Pork and Hominy Stew)
Ask someone from Mexico what they miss most from their homeland and invariably they sigh and reminisce about their mom’s delicious Pozole.

• 2 pigs feet, split ( optional but authentic)
• 1.5 lb. pork shoulder, cut into 3 or 4 pieces
• 3.5 lb. pork shanks, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 cans ( 29 oz.) hominy, rinsed & drained or 2 lbs. nixtamal*
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 white onions, chopped
• 8 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 8 tomatillos, husked & washed
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• condiments: shredded cabbage, chopped onions , chopped radishes,
lime wedges, dried Mexican oregano, ground red chile powder

Cover the pigs feet, pork shoulder, and shanks with water, (about 6 quarts) and bring to a boil in a large heavy soup pot. Add salt, garlic, and onions; cover pot and simmer for about two hours until very tender. Remove meat from broth, let cool, then separate meat from bone into small chunks. Skim fat and scum from broth, return meat to pot, continue to simmer.

While soup cooks place the ancho chiles and tomatillos in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil, then simmer for approximately 15 minutes until softened. Place the ancho chiles, tomatillos, and one cup of liquid from the saucepan into a blender. Puree until smooth. Strain the mixture directly into the soup pot.

Add hominy, salt to taste, and continue to cook for half an hour until stew has a soupy consistency. Add more water if necessary.

Prepare condiments and place in small bowls. Let each person garnish their own bowl of pozole. Serve with corn tortilla chips.

* Nixtamal (found in Mexican groceries) is a type of starchy corn that has been soaked in purified cal (calcium hydroxide). This alkaline process softens and enlarges the kernels and imparts a unique flavor and aroma. When the kernels are boiled in water they are called pozole, like this popular dish served throughout Mexico. When the corn is ground it becomes masa, the dough for tortillas.

Serves 8-10

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