Cold enough for you yet? Richard's T& T Posole

M

markinhouston

Well-known member
I guess we have had our annual brush with the freezing point, but I had hoped it would last through the weekend so I could try Richard's Posole. I found a local source for freshly prepared posole (hominy) rather than the canned stuff, so I made a batch to serve during the NFL playoff games. Seasons must be weird, I hit a home run! The fresh posole is well worth seeking out, and the following recipe is a real keeper. I think the T&T title comes from the old swap; it deserves a place in the hall of fame!

Tried and True Posole

For the Pork:

1 1/2 lbs pork shoulder

about 3 cups lightly salted water

1 medium onion, stuck with 2 cloves

5 cloves garlic, peeled

8 peppercorns

1 tsp cumin seed

1 tsp oregano

Place meat in saucepan, barely cover with water, add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Skim foam that rises, and cover pan. Reduce heat to simmer. Simmer gently for 1 hour, do not allow the water to boil. Turn off heat and let pork cool in the broth.

Cut meat into 1 inch cubes.

Continuing with the Posole:

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbsp. lard

1 tsp each (or to taste) of

black pepper, ground cumin, cloves, and cayenne

2-3 cups prepared posole or canned hominy, drained and rinsed

3-5 cups pork broth, degreased and strained

1 cup chopped green chilies

2 jalapenos, chopped

salt, if needed

Garnishes

Sauté onion and garlic in the lard until they wilt and start to brown. Add spices, stir for a minute, then stir in the pork, precooked posole or hominy, broth, green chilies, and jalapenos. Cook at a simmer, covered, for an hour.

Garnishes (any/all/optional)

homemade salsa, red or green

finely shredded cabbage

thinly sliced radishes

chunks of ripe avocado

chopped tomato (in season)

lime wedges

shredded Monterey Jack

Serve with warm tortillas.

 
I found a source for White Corn Posole (dried) have you tried this with the canned stuff?

I remember trying a recipe using dried garbazo beans and I did not find them as good as the canned variety. You seem very certain that it would be worth it to buy the dried and prepare them, as directed.

 
Karen, what I used was fresh, not dried. But I have seen many reports that..

the canned version has a rubbery or gummy mouthfeel. I can attest that this fresh product was superior to the canned.

 
Karen, the dried

is far superior to the canned option. All you need to do is soak it and pre-cook it like you would dry beans. You can also buy blue corn posole in New Mexico that is really nice in this dish. If you need more info on using the dried, let me know.

Mark, glad you're enjoying the posole. It is such a great dish for winter. And when you do the full home-made production with all the garnishes, it's a very special treat. I usually treat it as "company" food. : )

 
It is corn! The canned version looks like corn kernels on steroids, and

the dried and fresh posole are slightly smaller. The texture of the canned hominy is not as good as the other two; the fresh definitely tastes cornier as well. I have only found the fresh at a Latino market; I know you can order dried posole from www.ranchogordo.com if a local market doesn't have any.

 
Isn't it Indian in origin and probably for preservation. I need to go find my book that explains

such things.

 
My understanding is that it was for a preservation need...

the lime made the dried corn more tender, and more digestible, after it was reconstituted. Heard that somewhere, no idea if that is truth or legend. But hey, it's plausible. I imagine living in a desert clime like that one needed to concentrate all the nourishment one could get out of the food in storage.

 
I've heard that too, that it is/was a form of preservation, and also that it makes the protein

in the corn more available, making it possible to survive on a corn-based diet.

 
Growing up in the Southwest,so going back quite a few years here-isn't the same corn used for masa?

 
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