To welcome the joy of a thick, rich steaming bowl of Pozole (pronounced po-zo-lay) in your life you'd have to get rid of one important presumption that,
Chiles are hot
In most of Asia this holds true. If a chilli ain't hot, why bother!
It's only when you've been accquainted with the Southwestern and Mexican chiles like Guajillo, Anjo, Chipotle & Casabel that the opposite holds true - these chiles are smoky, rich and complex not hot.
At the heart of a great Pozole is a dried chile paste which gives it a thick texture, vibrant color and unforgettable earthy aroma. Here I've used dried Guajillo peppers that have been soaked in boiling water, turned into a fine paste and added into the simmering stewed pork. To this add the incredibly flavorful kernels of Hominy corn and you have an exquisite Pozole.
Guajillo chiles (pronounced Gwaa-hillo) are the backbone of Mexican-style cooking lending their classic smoky, rich and complex flavors to any dish. Especially fantastic with pork, these chiles have a 'heat reading' of 6000 scoville units.
Hominy corn is dried maize kernels that are treated and are available in cans in Latino or Mexican grocery stores.
Where to buy dried Chiles?
I buy all my chiles at Penzeys Spices and can vouch for their quality but feel free to shop at your neigbourhood Mexican/Latino stores.
Thank goodness for my years in the Southwestern USA where I learned so much about Mexican and southwestern cuisines I hope you'll find comfort from a cold blustery evening in the welcoming bowl of Pozole.
Gather the ingredients - pork butt, large dried Guajillo peppers, medium yellow onion, canned hominy corn, mexican oregano, ground thyme, oil, salt & water.
To serve - tortillas & onion, cilantro leaves & red pepper flakes for garnish
Use a heavy bottom, tight lid casserole type pot for this stew. My Emile Henry brazier will be perfect for this ensuring uniform heat throughout the pot.
Preparation -
Pork butt - Remove all excess membranes and fat. Cut into 1" cubes.
Onion - Discard ends and skin. Fnely chop and set aside. Reserve 1/4 cup chopped onion for garnish.
Garlic - Peel & finely chop cloves or use garlic paste
Guajillo Chiles - Bring water to boiling in a pan or tea kettle. Soak the chiles (whole as-is) in boiling water till needed (no less than 1 hour if not more).
Water - Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a pot or tea kettle
Heat oil in the pan. Add the onions and garlic and saute on medium high heat for about 3 minutes until onions have softened.
Add cubed pork in a single layer. Increase heat to medium high and sear for 5 minutes. Turn over to the other aside and sear the other side of the meat as well.
Continue to saute for a total of 20 minutes until the meat has a rich golden brown hue. Add the seasonings - salt, thyme & mexican oregano.
Measure out 4 cups of water from the tea kettle and add to the pot. Increase th heat to high and bring to a boil. Place the tight fitting lid over the pork and reduce the heat to its lowest setting (gas mark 0-2 in my case) and cook for 2 hours. Stir once or twice in the interim.
Once the pork is stewed, prepare the chile paste -
Add 4 tbs of the liquid the chiles were soaking in to a grinder. Remove discard the tops and the seeds from the chiles. Add to the grinder. Pulverize to a smooth paste. Sieve the paste to get rid of skin or stray seeds. Discard the residue in the sieve.
Cook's Note - Use a grinder that can make smooth and fine pastes. I use my 'magic bullet' and find a regular food processor cannot do the job.
Drain the hominy corn and discard the liquid in the can.
To the stewed pork add the chile paste and the corn. Stir and taste to adjust seasonings especially the salt.
Cover the pot with the lid and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. Serve immediately or later reheated with tortillas. Garnish with chopped onions, chopped cilantro leaves and red pepper flakes before serving.
It's like tasting the goodness of the earth is every bite - so incredibly rich and smoky.
You can almost imagine this dish being eaten in villages dished out in earthen bowls with fresh tortillas made from stone-ground corn.
Absolutely delicious, complex flavors with depth, thoroughly satisfying and filling it was a hit with us as well as the kids.
You bet it's making an appearance at our dinner table all winter! I hope it will at yours too.
POZOLE - A Rich & Smoky Mexican Pork Stew with Chiles & Hominy Corn
Preparation time - 20 minutes
Cooking time - 3 hours
Serves - 4
Shopping list
2-1/2 lbs pork butt
1 medium yellow onion
1 large 28 oz can Hominy corn (use more if you like)
1 oz - 5# large dried Guajillo chile peppers
1/2 tbs salt
1 tsp ground thyme
1/2 tbs Mexican oregano
2 tbs olive oil
To serve -
tortillas
chopped onion
chopped cilantro leaves
red pepper flakes sprinkled
Preparation-
Pork butt - Remove all excess membranes and fat. Cut into 1" cubes.
Onion - Discard ends and skin. Fnely chop and set aside. Reserve 1/4 cup chopped onion for garnish.
Garlic - Peel & finely chop cloves or use garlic paste
Guajillo Chiles - Bring water to boiling in a pan or tea kettle. Soak the chiles (whole as-is) in boiling water till needed (no less than 1 hour if not more).
Water - Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a pot or tea kettle
Heat oil in the pan. Add the onions and garlic and saute on medium high heat for about 3 minutes until onions have softened.
Add cubed pork in a single layer. Increase heat to medium high and sear for 5 minutes. Turn over to the other aside and sear the other side of the meat as well.
Continue to saute for a total of 20 minutes until the meat has a rich golden brown hue. Add the seasonings - salt, thyme & mexican oregano.
Measure out 4 cups of water from the tea kettle and add to the pot. Increase th heat to high and bring to a boil. Place the tight fitting lid over the pork and reduce the heat to its lowest setting (gas mark 0-2 in my case) and cook for 2 hours. Stir once or twice in the interim.
Once the pork is stewed, prepare the chile paste -
Add 4 tbs of the liquid the chiles were soaking in to a grinder. Remove discard the tops and the seeds from the chiles. Add to the grinder. Pulverize to a smooth paste. Sieve the paste to get rid of skin or stray seeds. Discard the residue in the sieve.
Cook's Note - Use a grinder that can make smooth and fine pastes. I use my 'magic bullet' and find a regular food processor cannot do the job.
Drain the hominy corn and discard the liquid in the can.
To the stewed pork add the chile paste and the corn. Stir and taste to adjust seasonings especially the salt.
Cover the pot with the lid and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. Serve immediately or later reheated with tortillas. Garnish with chopped onions, chopped cilantro leaves and red pepper flakes before serving.
Enjoy!
