New Mexican Posole – Hangover Helper

The tri-color heirloom hominy from Abondanza Farms in Boulder, Coloado is very different from canned hominy. I’m not quite sure if cooking it in lime, then rinsing it, rinsing it again and then finally removing the hull, is something I’ll do again, but it is very pretty.  I like the buttered popcorn flavor of canned hominy. The fresh hominy isn’t quite as soft and puffy but it was still pretty darn good. Recently I found some prepared hominy in the freezer sections of Lucky’s Market in Boulder. This is worth buying over canned and I recommend that you seek some out.

In Mexico, posole is made with tripe and pig’s feet. Like Menudo, it is customary to eat these dishes after a night of overindulgence. No one quite knows why it works.  Is it the homemade stock, garlic or fat? Regardless, it is a hearty and filling soup/stew.

Barr’s Slow Cooker Posole

This is a recipe I have adpated from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. This a wonderful stew to have in a slow cooker on game day. Make it a few days in advance, then have it simmering throughout the day you actually enjoy it.  It is really good served with fresh slices of avocado. Try this recipe with small cans of yellow and white hominy.

1/2 lb good quality chourizo sausage
(some brands can be very spicy so be careful)
2 yellow onions, chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 dried Ancho chilies
3 bone in chicken thighs (skin removed)
3 drumsticks (skin removed)
1 cup canned white hominy, drained
1 cup canned yellow hominy, drained
3 cups homemade pork stock or chicken stock
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
fresh cilantro
avocados

In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, sauté the chorizo sausage until the fat is released. Using a slotted spoon, place the chourizo into your slow cooker.  Leave 2 Tbsp. oil in the pan and saute the onions and garlic  until soft. Stir often so the garlic doesn’t burn.  Add to the slow cooker.  Place the ancho chiles, chicken, hominy, stock, tomatoes  into slow cooker.  Stir well.  Cover and cook on Low for to 6 hours.

Allow to cool completely and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove all the meat from the chicken bones and shred it into the pot. If desired, skim the fat.  Bring posole back up to a simmer on the stove top. If you want, puree the ancho chilie with some of the stock in the pot and then stir it back in. It will add a nice deep flavor.  Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and avocado slices.