Oh so good: Posole Rojo

While pregnant with my daughter I happened to try a soup at a Mexican restaurant called posole (pozole).  I was immediately hooked on the rich taste.  Poor hubs was on a first name basis with the staff there by the time I had my baby--I had to have that soup!

I was really intimidated with the idea of trying to make this soup at home.  When I scoured the internet for recipes, most involved a multi-step process to get a batch of ancho or red chilies to flavor the soup.  It looked pretty involved.  I had to look up what exactly hominy was.  Turns out it just corn kernels that are soaked in an alkali solution to remove the husk and seed germ, and cause the kernel to puff up.

So I experimented and came up with a recipe that may not be quite authentic, but is lick-the-bowl delicious!  Here's how you make this deliciousness:
Ingredients
2 lbs pork shoulder or pork loin
1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
2 large (1 lb 13 oz) cans Mexican style hominy, drained (Note: This is a lot of hominy so feel free to adjust down to one large can or 2 smaller cans)
2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp Chile Molido (ground pasilla chili) powder--this will add a good amount of heat so cut the amount down if you want less spiciness. (Usually found at Hispanic food stores or in the section for Hispanic foods and seasonings in grocery stores)
3 bay leaves
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp dried oregano 
6 garlic cloves, whole
2 cups water 
salt 
black pepper

You can also try these traditional garnishes:
limes wedges
avocado, sliced 
cabbage, thinly chopped
sliced radish
cilantro, chopped
green or white onion, chopped
tostada shells   

Pork cut into pieces

Begin by cutting the pork into cubes.  There's no uniform size, I like to make some large and others a bit smaller. I like to choose a cut of meat that has a nice marbling of fat, but that's still on the lean side.

Lightly season meat with a sprinkle of salt and black pepper.

Add the vegetable oil to a large soup or Dutch oven pot on medium heat.

Cook pork until very little pink shows

Add the pork to the pot, and cook stirring occasionally, until the meat is lightly browned with very little pink.

This is the broth before pasilla

Reduce the heat under your pot to low.  Next add both cans of chicken broth, the chopped onion, oregano, bay leaves, hominy, and ground cumin.  I also usually will add about a teaspoon of salt at this time.  You can do so or omit depending on your taste.

This is the broth after adding pasilla

Now you are going to turn your posole rojo or red.  Add the 3 tbsp of ground pasilla chili powder and stir.  Cover the pot and let it simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours or until the pork is very tender. 



Add whichever garnishes you choose (I have to squeeze a few lime wedges into mine), and then enjoy this soup which is hearty, warm, and perfect for filling hungry bellies on those chilly evenings!

What this soup lacks in looks, it more than makes up for in taste!