I did this for dinner last night -- Pozole! A spicy, meaty, fiery hell-broth of pork, hominy corn, New Mexico hatch chiles, garlic, bay leaves, Mexican oregano, toasted cumin, salt, pepper, lime juice, white onion and cilantro. Recipe below!
New Mexico Pozole
INGREDIENTS
1½ pounds dried hominy (posole), available in Latino groceries, soaked overnight in cold water
3 ounces dried red New Mexico Hatch chiles (10-12 large chiles)
2 pounds fresh pork belly, cut in 2-inch cubes
2 pounds pork shoulder, not too lean, cut in 2-inch chunks
Salt and pepper
1 large yellow onion, peeled, halved and stuck with 2 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted until fragrant and coarsely ground
2 cups finely diced white onion, soaked in ice water, for garnish
Lime wedges
Roughly chopped cilantro, for garnish
Toasted Mexican oregano, for garnish
PREPARATION
Step 1: Drain soaked hominy and put in large soup pot. Cover with water and bring to boil. Let simmer briskly for 1 hour.
Step 2: While hominy is cooking, make red chile purée: Toast dried chiles lightly in cast-iron skillet or stovetop grill, just until fragrant. Wearing gloves, slit chiles lengthwise with paring knife. Remove and discard stems and seeds. Put chiles in saucepan and cover with 4 cups water. Simmer 30 minutes and let cool. In blender, purée chiles to a smooth paste using some cooking water as necessary. Purée should be of milkshake consistency.
Step 3: Season pork belly and pork shoulder generously with salt and pepper. After posole has cooked 1 hour, add pork shoulder, pork belly, onion stuck with cloves, bay leaf, garlic and cumin. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches, then return to a brisk simmer. While adding water occasionally and tasting broth for salt, simmer for about 2 1/2 hours more, until meat is tender and posole grains have softened and burst. Skim fat from surface of broth. Serve in a bowl and squeeze lime over the pozole and then top with cilantro and finely diced white onion.
