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

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Pozole Verde

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8 -10

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

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.

The post Pozole Verde appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Pozole Rojo {Pork & Hominy Stew}

This beautiful hearty stew all began with a Slow Braised Boston Butt Pork Roast on Sunday.  We bought the biggest one we could find (6+lbs.) so we could enjoy a variety of meals from it’s goodness.

We’ve made Pozole (Posole Rojo) several times, but never when we would actually be writing about it and sharing it with all of you.  So I did a good bit of research before tackling this one.  And I’m oh so glad I did.  The star ingredient, in my opinion, are the dried red chiles.  Yes, the slow braised pork and hominy are the signature ingredients, but turning dried chili pods into a fabulous red sauce just feels like authentic Mexican cooking.

I had done my recipe research and now had a short list of ingredients to pick up and remembered co-workers talking about this wonderful Mexican market not a mile from the office.  Why hadn’t I been there before now….oh my wow!  Our big little town has the usual big box and chain stores, fast food restaurants and shopping outlets, and enough gas stations and dry cleaners to satisfy most.  However, for those who aren’t afraid to veer off the path ever so slightly…we have some wonderfully colorful establishments worthy of our patronage as well.

This Pozole Rojo recipe caused me to visit just one of these hidden gems, Carniceria Hernandez Taqueria.  I walked in with “Guajillo Chiles” written on scratch paper, only to discover a fabulous market with gorgeous produce, hand cut meats, authentic Mexican cuisine cooked to order, and walls of dried chiles, herbs, and spices.  Bingo!

The pods although considered dried are actually pliable.  The recipe instructed me to remove the stems, large veins, and seeds from the dried chiles.  I found using scissors to cut the length of the pepper the easiest way to accomplish this.  You then lightly roast them in a hot cast iron skillet, cover them with boiling water to soften, then blend them with garlic and onion into the fabulous red chili sauce.

This Pozole Rojo recipe on Simply Recipes has some wonderful step by step instructions.  Because we started with cooked pulled pork, we adjusted accordingly.  The stew itself is quite basic.  It is the myriad of garnishes and toppings that allows each who enjoys Pozole Rojo to make it their own.  Delicioso!

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Pozole Rojo {Pork & Hominy Stew}

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 8 cups broth pork or chicken
• 4 cups cooked and shredded Boston butt pork roast
• 1 tsp. dried oregano preferably Mexican
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 4 oz. dried guajillo red chiles or ancho chiles or a combination of both
• 3 cups boiling-hot water
• 1/2 large white onion diced
• 2-3 garlic cloves sliced
• 1-2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbl. canola oil
• two 30-ounce cans white hominy rinsed and drained

For garnishes…

• sliced radishes avocado, cabbage, diced white onion, cilantro, limes, tostada shells

Instructions

• Shred about 4 cups of cooked pork and reserve.
• For the red chili sauce, use scissors to cut the chiles lengthwise and remove the stems, large veins, and seeds. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat, working in batches add chiles in single layer, turning with tongs for about 1 minutes until slightly softened. Place the chiles in a medium sauce pan, add 3 cups boiling water, cover and allow to soak for at least 30 minutes.
• In a blender purée diced onion, sliced garlic, and 1 tsp. salt with chiles and soaking liquid until smooth. Strain sauce through a mesh seive to remove the tough bits.
• Add canola oil to cast iron skillet over medium heat and carefully sauté the chile paste for 3-4 minutes until smooth and thickened. Add more salt to taste.
• In a large dutch oven, combine broth with red chili sauce, oregano, and cumin. Bring to a boil, the reduce to a low simmer. Add in cooked pulled pork and rinsed and drained hominy. Simmer pozole 30 minutes and, if necessary, season with salt.
• Serve pozole with assorted garnishes and tostada shells.

Notes

Can begin recipe with 4 lbs. country style pork ribs, browned, then slow cooked in 4-5 quarts of water combined with the seasonings and the red chili sauce for 2-3 hours. Remove bones and skim fat before serving.

The post Pozole Rojo {Pork & Hominy Stew} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Today we are Sharing the Love at the office in honor of Customer Service Appreciation Week.  Sharing the love for our amazing group generally involves food.  

Food makes us happy.  Had a request for Chicken Tortilla Soup….a recipe we perfected a couple years ago. 

My oh my it’s good. 

Also sharing my Italian Wedding Soup because it’s one of my all time favorites.   And enjoying delicious Chicken BBQ thanks to Bethany. 

Great day!!

Chicken Tortilla Soup is built upon a Roast Chicken and the amazing broth that follows.  A base of a simple mirepoix of onion, carrot, celery combined with a few quick adds (Rotel, hominy, mild green chiles, and frozen corn).  Season with some classic Mexican flavors like cumin, chili powder, oregano, and cayenne.  Serve with grated cheese, sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, and tortilla strips.

On Monday we were treated to the most amazing pot of chili and homemade Tamales.  Tamales have now been added to my list of things I must attempt to make from scratch. 

I’ll have to do a little Sabina sweet talking and see if I can sign up for one of her International cooking classes. 

Thanks to my Foodie Friend Jenn, I already have “from scratch Egg Rolls” on the calendar in November and Canning with Cindy next Summer.  We shall call these cooking sessions our Share the Love Series :)

All my best,
xo Libby

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup has all the flavors of classic Mexican Comfort Food.

Course Soup

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup onion diced
• 1/2 cup carrot diced
• 1/2 cup celery diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp. cumin toasted ground cumin seeds are a great add
• ½ tsp. ground oregano
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• dash cayenne
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 Tbl. flour
• 4 cups good chicken stock
• 1 can Rotel w/liquid
• 1 can Hominy drained
• 1 sm. can mild green chiles diced
• ½ cup frozen corn
• 1 ½ cups cooked chicken
• adjust spices to taste
• Serve with cheese avocado, cilantro, tortilla strips

Instructions

• Saute onion, carrot, celery in heavy pot or dutch oven until tender.
• Then add garlic and spices and stir to combine.
• Dust vegetable mixture with flour and stir to coat, then add chicken stock, Rotel w/liquid, Hominy drained, mild green chiles, and frozen corn.
• Simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.
• Add cooked chicken and heat through.
• Adjust spices to taste.
• Serve with shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro, tortilla strips

The post Chicken Tortilla Soup {Share the Love} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.