Posole

We've been eating soup like crazy this winter. Lots of potatoes. Lots of chicken broth (we LOVE making our own broth, mmmm!). Lots of veggies. But finally we just got craving something non-potato-y. Something that tasted different. And I realized it was the perfect time for posole!

We normally only ever make posole at Christmas time. I don't know why that's the only time we make it. It's a fabulous recipe, and we love it! 

So simmering on the back burner of my stove is my big red pot full of yummy New Mexican goodness that I can't wait to dive into later tonight. My house smells like home! 

Want to try our recipe? I'll share it with you! This is easy to add extra flavor too, turn up the heat on, make mild, and it sure warms you up on a cold day. 

Posole Recipe:

1 medium pork roast cut into 1" chunks

1 medium to large chopped onion

1 bag frozen posole

(Here we can get this posole in the frozen foods section. Some places we've seen frozen hominy instead of posole, and that can work as well. If you can't find it frozen you can use canned, but we like the frozen stuff better) 2 cloves of garlic 6 c. water

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp cumin

dried red chile pods (10 mild pods) OR frozen red chile puree

chicken bouillon (optional)

1. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a large stock/soup pot. Brown meat, onion, and garlic. 
2. Dump in posole (frozen or thawed) and water. Bring to a boil and add seasonings. 
3. If using chile pods: 
1. Wash and de-seed (snap of the heads, shake out what seeds you can, and rinse out the remaining seeds). 
2. Add the chile to the pot. 
3. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove pods with tongs and cool on a plate until cool enough to handle. 
4. Scrape off the flesh (I use my kitchen scissors and cut the pod in half, lay it flat on a cutting board, and then use a butter knife to scrape the flesh off the inside. It should come off quite easily) and throw away the peels. Return the flesh to the pot. 
4. If using frozen chile, add a fist sized chunk (it's always easier to add more later than it is to remove it). I ended up using about 2 fist sized chunks. 
5. Taste and add bouillon if needed. Salt to taste at the end. 
6. Cook until the posole has "popped" (no longer looks like frozen corn...it's expanded and popped) and is tender. You may have to add more water as the posole soaks it up and expands. This particular batch I ended up adding about 4 more cups of water.
7. To up the flavor or heat add chile powder (NOT chili powder...chile powder. I promise there is a huge difference-make sure there's an e at the end!) or chile puree. Extra seasonings can be added as well depending on your preferences.

We like to eat this all different ways. With cheese (shredded cheddar is good, but Queso Fresco is fabulous in this!). Without cheese. With warm tortillas. With sopapillas or fry bread. Mostly though we like eating it with a spoon by the bowlful. And, because it wouldn't be a true "My Pinstrosity Life" post without some Real Life photos...my pretty little bowl of posole picture at the beginning is just a tiny tiny bit of what my kitchen looks like. It's a work in progress today.

Scraping off the flesh from the chile pods can be a little messy...