Mary Mourar's Feast-Day Posole Stew

My friend Mary Mourar made this skipping the pork.  Delicious, and a perfect meal for a cold Colorado night!

Feast-Day Posole Stew

Served by Mike, Missouri R. canoe trip

-with apologies to NewMexico Magazine, Best of New Mexico Kitchens, and The Shed restaurant

This stew is a variation of the traditional hominy-based side dish common in New Mexico as a substitute for rice, and has been glorified with the addition of pork, vegetables, and a rich chili sauce. The hominy can be either dried, frozen, or canned. The canned version is easier and faster, but starting with a pound or so of dried hominy would result in a thicker, richer sauce and more intense corn flavor.


Meat
2 slices thick-cut bacon
2 lbs. Boneless pork loin chops, cut in 3/4” cubes


Vegetables
1 large onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, coarsely diced
3 med. Carrots, diced
1 gallon can white hominy (posole)
Juice of 1 lime
¼ c fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped








Sofrito
1 tsp cumin seeds
5 cloves garlic, with skins on
3 Tbsp ground mild red chili, pref. ancho
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp chipotle en adobo, pureed
1 tsp leaf oregano
cider vinegar

1. Start by making the Sofrito: Toast cumin seeds and unpeeled garlic cloves in a cast-iron skillet over med heat; remove cumin when lightly toasted, garlic when skins are black in spots and inside is soft to the touch. Allow to cool.
   
2. Grind cumin in spice grinder or mortar; peel and mash garlic with the side of a knife. Puree the garlic by successively mashing and chopping into a smooth paste. Place cumin and garlic in a small mixing bowl.
   
3. Add tomato paste, ground chili, chipotle en adobo, and oregano. Mix thoroughly with a spoon, adding cider vinegar in small amounts as necessary to achieve a thin paste, not stiff but also not runny. Set the Sofrito aside.
   
4. In a large heavy-bottomed stew pot, fry bacon slowly until fully browned, with fat completely rendered. Remove bacon, chop and reserve.
   
5. Lightly brown cubed pork in bacon fat. Do this in batches, removing and reserving pork when done. If necessary, add olive oil to pot for the next step.
   
6. Saute onion, bell pepper, and carrots until onion is translucent.
   
7. Scrape a clear spot in the middle of the pan and add Sofrito mixture. Allow to heat through until it sticks to the pan, then gradually stir into the vegetables along the sides. Cook and stir until the sofrito is noticeably darker, about 2 minutes.
   
8. De-glaze the pan with about ¼ cup of water, using a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up anything stuck to the bottom. Add hominy straight from the can. Do not drain or rinse. Bring to a boil, adding water as required to reach a stew-like consistency.
   
9. Add reserved pork and bacon; add lime juice; add salt to taste; simmer for about 30 minutes; adjust seasonings; add chopped cilantro; simmer for another 10 minutes.
   
10. Adjust thickness by adding water or 1Tbsp masa harina, mixed in a small bowl with juice from the pot and added when of pouring consistency.
    

Dad's Chili Verde

This is my Dad's chile verde recipe.  He uses roasted Pueblo chilis he picks up during the Pueblo chili festival.  Here in Pennsylvania, I find chili poblanos work well, though I have to roast them myself.  Be warned, Pennsylvanians who like bland food - depending on the chili peppers, this recipe can be best for fire-eaters!

Roast garlic: Cut off stem of bulb, exposing cloves.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Roast at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, until the garlic is buttery and slips out of its skin. DO NOT EAT ALL OF THEM BEFORE ADDING TO CHILI, especially on French bread with red wine.

Roast chilis: Drizzle chili peppers with olive oil, stick on grill or in oven at about 400 degrees, until skin blisters and blackens, but pepper is still tender.  Cool, then peel and chop.

Ingredients:
2 TBs olive oil
2 lbs boneless chicken cubed
1 large onion, chopped
10-12 chili peppers, roasted, peeled and chopped. Or use canned chili peppers. (keep in the seeds to ramp up the heat.)
1 chopped fresh jalapeño (keep in the seeds to ramp up the heat.)
4-5 roasted garlic cloves
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1 bunch cilantro
2 18 ounce cans tomatillos, drained and chopped
2 large red tomatoes, chopped
14 ounces chicken broth
coarse salt and fresh pepper to taste

1. In large pot, heat oil over medium heat.

2. Brown chicken.  Add onion and cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent.

3.  Add roasted peppers and jalapeño, garlic, oregano, cilantro and cumin. Cook and stir 2 minutes.

4. Add tomatillos and chicken broth and boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes to an hour, or until meat is tender.

5. Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with sourcream and thin slices of jalapeños, if desired.

Serves 4-6.