Posole
Posole is a classic Mexican stew, often served around the holidays. It's full of chile, high-quality meat, and hominy. It's one of my favorite things about the holiday season.
Servings: 6 quarts
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium onions diced
- 1/2 head garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 3 pounds pork shoulder cubed, heritage breed, see note*
- 2 Tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin for better flavor, toast whole seeds and grind them yourself
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup red chile sauce
- 6-8 cups broth or water, see note**
- #10 can hominy 8-10 cups, cooked and drained
Instructions
- Remove the fat from a pork shoulder and cut the pork into small cubes.
- Heat a large pot on medium and add oil, onions, garlic, and salt to the pot. Stir to combine and cook until translucent, about 5-10 minutes.
- (Optional) Heat a heavy pan over medium heat. Add some oil or render some lard into the pan. Add the pork cubes in batches to the pan to get a bit of a sear on the meat. Then add the seared meat to the onions. You can skip this step. You'll lose some flavor but save some time and dishes.
- Add the herbs and spices to the pot and stir to combine. Add the broth and red chile sauce to the pot and stir to combine.
- Cook at a low simmer for about an hour.
- Add the hominy and stir to combine. Cook for about another hour until it reduces into a thicker stew.
- Serve with sour cream, lime juice, minced onion, and/or cilantro.
Notes
* You can make a vegetarian version by substituting cooked beans. I've made this version and it's also really tasty. It's a bit thinner due to the lack of collagen, but still delicious.
** Exact amount depends on how brothy you want your soup. I prefer a thicker stew, so I would use 6 cups, but you can add more if you want.