Pozole Verde
Pozole Verde.
Pork & Hominy Stew with Fire Roasted Tomatillos & Peppers.
Punchy. Earthy. Unctuous. Bright Flavors. Oh how we love you Pozole.
So for this Pozole Verde recipe below, I simply list 2 pounds of Boston butt pork roast, cooked & cubed. You can easily cook Boston butt in a Dutch oven, crock pot, oven or smoker. Or if you prefer you can substitute cooked chicken.
Fire roasting veggies imparts a nice smokiness to their flavor which pairs perfectly with Pozole. The key is to char the skins. I often use our gas stove top to roast poblanos, jalapenos and corn. Just turn them with metal tongs until blackened on all sides. However, because the tomatillos become very soft when cooked I decided to broil the entire tray.
The blistered tomatillos were ready for the blender. I steamed the peppers in a covered bowl for 5 minutes to help loosen their skins. Simply run under cool water and remove skins, stems and seeds. Into the blender they go.
A traditional ingredient in Pozole (Posole) are toasted pumpkin seeds. A few minutes in a dry cast-iron skillet brings them to life, releasing their natural oils and nutty flavor. I also toasted cumin seeds for a couple minutes…oh so fragrant.
What’s shown in the blender above is the most awe-mazing Verde Sauce or Salsa Verde. Just the right balance of heat (back of the tongue) with punchy flavor. I believe I was granted a new level of respect today.
“Be sure you’ve written this all down, the possibilities for this verde sauce are endless.” :-)
The broth of Pozole Verde is awe-mazin’ and always what I’m most interested in. I however also love that pozole is a lot about the garnishes. We chose lime wedges, diced avocado, onion, radish, roasted corn, sour cream, verde sauce, shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro, and tortilla chips. Yup. The garnishes elevate this dish.
I {heart} pozole.
All my best,
xo Libby
Pozole Verde
Ingredients
For pozole verde…
- 2 lbs. Boston butt pork roast cooked & cubed (see recipe link in post)
- 1 lb. tomatillos husks removed
- 2 poblano peppers
- 3 jalapeno peppers
- 2 banana peppers
- 1 small onion peeled and left whole
- 1 medium onion fine diced
- 2 ears corn optional
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 Tbl. cumin seeds
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves plus more for garnish
- 6 cups chicken stock divided
- 1 Tbl. canola oil
- 1 29- ounce can white hominy drained & rinsed
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. chile powder
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. salt or to taste
For garnishes…
- shredded cabbage fresh cilantro, lime wedges, fine diced onion, diced avocado, sliced radish, sour cream, roasted corn kernels (optional), extra verde sauce, tortilla chips
Instructions
For pozole verde…
- Cook Boston butt pork roast, recipe link in post.
- Preheat oven to broil.
- Place tomatillos, poblano peppers, jalapenos, banana peppers, 1 small onion, and corn (optional) on shallow rimmed baking sheet. Place on rack positioned 10-12 inches below broiler. Broil until skins are charred on one side. Turn everything over and continue broiling until well charred on all sides; about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seed and dry toast for 2-3 minutes, shaking pan often until fragrant. Watch carefully so they don’t burn. Remove from pan into a mortar and pestle to grind fine. Add pumpkin seeds to cast-iron skillet and toast for 3-4 minutes until slightly golden. Remove from pan and add to a food processor. Grind until fine. Reserve.
- Remove vegetable tray from oven. Transfer tomatillos and onion to blender. Place peppers in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to steam for 5 minutes. Run under cool water, removing skins, stems and seeds. Place flesh in blender. Add garlic, cilantro, ground cumin and pumpkin seeds, along with 1 cup of chicken broth. Blend until well combined.
- Heat 1 Tbl. oil in Dutch oven or large soup pot. Add half of diced onion and sauté until translucent; about 5 minutes. Pour in all but 1/2 cup of blended tomatillo mixture. Simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Add in hominy, cubed pork, oregano, chili powder, salt & pepper. Heat through. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Ladle pozole into individual bowls, then pass garnishes.
For garnishes…
- Prepare assorted garnishes in small dishes that can be passed.
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