Posole (Recipe)

Posole is a humble Aztec stew containing white hominy and chiles.  The flavors of the spicy broth with pork, chicken, and hominy give this version a unique earthy character.  Serve in large shallow soup plates, garnished with chopped raw vegetables and lime wedges to squeeze into the stew.

Ingredients

3 dried mild red chiles, such as New Mexico or ancho

2 pounds center-cut pork loin, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders

4 cups homemade or canned chicken broth

1 onion, diced

1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles

2 (15 ounce) cans white hominy, rinsed and drained

7 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

Chopped scallions, chopped cilantro, shredded green cabbage, shredded red radishes, and fresh lime, juice, for garnish

Steps

1.  Remove the stems from the dried chiles, rinse well, and remove the seeds.  Soak in hot water to cover for 10 minutes to soften.  Drain, discarding the soaking water.  Cut the chiles into strips.

2.  In a 5 quart electric slow cooker, mix together the pork cubes, whole chicken tenders, broth, onion, green chiles, hominy, garlic, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and salt.  Tuck the red chile strips down into the mixture.

3.  Cover and cook on the low heat setting about 8 hours.  Serve with any or all of the garnishes.