Posole Hominy With Chiles Chorizo And Queso Fresco Food

POZOLE ROJO (MEXICAN STEW WITH PORK AND HOMINY)

Steps:

• In a large soup pot, add pork, 1 onion cut in quarters, 1 garlic bulb cut in half, 3 bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cover everything with water and allow to simmer for 2 hours. As water begins to evaporate, add hot water to keep the broth at the same amount.
• While stock is cooking, make the chile sauce. Cut open your dried chile's and remove all the seeds and stems. Soak the chiles in water for at least 30 minutes to soften.
• When chiles are soft, add them to your blender (or food processor) as well as 1 onion (roughly chopped), 6 garlic cloves, few sprigs of fresh oregano, drizzle of olive oil and about 1/2 cup of the chile water (from soaking). You may need more depending on consistency. Blend everything together until it is all pureed.
• When stock is done and pork is cooked through, remove pork to cutting board and shred or cut into bite size pieces. Discard stocks onion, garlic and bay. Then add the pureed chile sauce to pork stock and store through. Add hominy and cubed pork. Taste for seasoning.
• Bring soup to a gentle simmer and allow to continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.
• When done, ladle soup into bowls and top with garnishes, such as sliced cabbage, sliced radishes, fresh oregano, avocado, like and tortilla chips.

POZOLE ROJO

Steps:

• Diced avocado, crema, crumbled queso fresco, thinly sliced green cabbage, chopped white onion, sliced radishes, fried tortilla strips, dried chile de arbol and lime wedges, for serving
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Arrange the ancho, guajillo, pasilla and morita chiles on a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer and toast until beginning to brown (being careful not to char) and very fragrant and smells like toasted nuts, about 5 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet.
• Increase the oven to 450 degrees F. Spread the hominy in an even layer on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and roast, tossing once, until lightly toasted, very fragrant and just beginning to brown on the edges of the baking sheet, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on the two largest sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a large plate.
• Add the garlic, onions and 6 1/2 teaspoons salt to the same pot. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the toasted chiles, oregano, peppercorns, clove and 10 cups water to the pot and bring to a boil. Nestle the pork into the pot; the liquid should come halfway up the sides of the pork. Arrange the cilantro, mint and bay leaves around the pork. Cover, reduce to low and cook until the pork is very tender and shreds easily, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Remove and discard the cilantro, mint and bay leaves. Transfer the pork to a large plate. When cool enough to handle, shred the pork into large pieces. Loosely cover with plastic wrap.
• Working in batches, puree the cooking broth and aromatics in a blender until completely smooth and no large pieces of chile remain. Season to taste.
• Wipe the pot clean. Add the chile puree and toasted hominy and simmer over medium heat, uncovered, until the flavors meld, the broth is rich and the hominy has plumped up and is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Stir the reserved pork into the pozole and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Divide the posole among bowls. Top with desired toppings and a squeeze of lime.
• The posole can be made up to 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.

NEW MEXICAN POSOLE

Steps:

• DIRECTIONS for using canned hominy: Bring the water to a boil and add all ingredients. Reduce to a low simmer and allow the soup to simmer for one hour.
• DIRECTIONS for using dried hominy: Bring the water to a simmer and add the hominy. Let it simmer for 45 minutes, until the kernels have softened and are bursting open. Add the meat and all of the spices. Simmer for one hour.
• Ladle into bowls and add onions and red chile to taste. I added a couple tablespoons of sauce to each bowl. Enjoy!

RED PORK POSOLE WITH PICKLED ONIONS AND QUESO FRESCO

Steps:

• To make the braised pork: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pat the pork dry of any juices and generously season with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Place the pork in the pot and brown well on all sides. Remove the pork and reduce heat to medium, add the onion, carrot, celery, fennel, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Cook to soften the vegetables, about 10 minutes, then deglaze the pot with the wine, scraping up the bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken stock and stir, slide the pork back into the pot and bring liquids to low boil. Cover the pot and place in the oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, turning the meat 1/2 way through cooking. Keep the pork in the oven until the meat is tender and falls apart when pulled at with a fork.
• Remove the pork from the pot, place on a platter, and when cool enough to handle, pull the meat apart with 2 forks, divide the meat and reserve one half. Strain the cooking liquids and add to the reserved pork.
• To make the pickled onions and chiles: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the vinegar, water, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and coriander seeds, and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Arrange the onions and pepper rings in a small container with a tight-fitting lid and pour the brine over the top. Cool, cover, and store chilled for a minimum of several hours and up to several days. Cook's Note: The pickled onions and peppers make powerful companions to the smoky mild stew.
• To make the red posole: Seed and stem the ancho chiles. Place the peppers in a pot and cover with stock, add a little water, if necessary, to cover. Reconstitute the peppers by bringing the liquids to a low boil, and then reduce the heat to simmer, and cook until the peppers are soft. Carefully transfer the peppers and their liquids to a food processor and process until smooth.
• Meanwhile, heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil, a couple turns of the pan, in a skillet over medium heat, and add onions, garlic, and season with paprika, chile powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are very soft, 10 to 12 minutes, stir in the pepper puree, hominy, cilantro, 2 cups chicken stock, honey, the juice of 1 lime, and 1/2 the pulled pork. Add just enough water to form stew as loose or thick as you like, 1 to 2 cups additional liquid. Cool and store for a make-ahead meal.
• To serve, heat the stew over medium heat. Once hot, spoon the stew into shallow bowls and top with pickled onions and jalapenos, queso fresco, and serve with warm charred tortillas for dipping and wrapping.