Jan 16, 2008

Pork and Hominy Stew (Posole Rojo)

Posole, a Mexican stew, is typically made with pork broth. The soup always contains hominy, dried corn kernels that have been cooked in an alkaline solution (such as slaked lime) to remove the hull. See your local specialty market for hard-to-find Mexican ingredients.

5 dried cascabel chiles, stemmed and seeded
4 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
3 dried new mexico chiles, stemmed and seeded
5 cloves garlic, chopped
4  15-oz. cans golden hominy, drained and rinsed
   (about 6 cups)
1 1⁄2 lbs. pork neck bones, cut into 2" pieces by
   your butcher
1 1⁄2 lbs. pork leg, cut into 2" pieces by your
   butcher
1 lb. pork spareribs, cut into 2" pieces by your
   butcher
Salt
10 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 large white onion, roughly chopped
1⁄2 small head green cabbage, cored and thinly
   sliced

1. Put chiles into a small pot and cover with water; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain chiles; transfer to a blender. Add 3 1⁄2 cups water; purée until smooth. Strain through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl. Purée garlic and 1⁄4 cup water until smooth. Set chile mixture and garlic purée aside.

2. Put hominy and 9 cups water into a large pot; bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in chile mixture, garlic purée, pork bones, leg, and spareribs, and salt to taste. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until pork is tender, about 2 hours. Uncover and simmer until pork is very tender, about 2 hours more. Serve posole garnished with radishes, onions, cabbage, and Three-Chile Salsa, if you like.

SERVES 8 – 10