Pozole
Ingredients:
-pork shoulder/Boston butt, about 3 or 3 1/2 lbs
-chili peppers: 6-8 of your choosing, according to desired heat level; I used a combination of dried Hatch chilis and some of my prepared Hatch chili paste this time
-hominy: I use canned, about 1 15oz can per pound (err on the heavy side, so for this last batch, I used 4 cans for a 3.5lb shoulder)
-4-5 cups chicken broth
-yellow onion
-3 tbsp minced garlic
-4 tbsp cumin
-one bunch cilantro
-one bunch oregano
-salt
-black pepper
1. Start by preparing your pork shoulder with a spice rub: grind half of your chili peppers, half of the cilantro, half of the garlic and half of the cumin into a paste with a touch of olive/other oil; add about 1 tbsp salt to promote flavor penetration. Rub shoulder generously before smoking or searing; I also like to score it a few times to really get the paste in there.
2. Two options here: either a) give your shoulder a hard sear on all sides in a frying pan or on a griddle, or b) this is my method--smoke it "about halfway" in a standard smoker, 4-5 hours at your usual temp for such a cut (temp is pretty forgiving in this context as long as you don't stay north of 300 for too long). A loose foil wrap is helpful if you smoke...keeps your chili paste contained and also retains some of the juices that render during the smoking, which make a great addition to your stock pot.
3. Mince the onion, the rest of the cilantro, the oregano, add the rest of the garlic. Saute all of it over medium-high heat until the onions start to sweat, 10ish minutes.
4. Add onion/herb mixture and pork to a large stock pot or Crock pot. Pour in chicken broth; supplement with water as needed until the shoulder is covered. Add the rest of the cumin and the rest of your chilis, minced as finely as you can get them (or grind them into a paste again with a little liquid or oil). Simmer on the stove top 4-5 hours on medium low, or cook in Crock Pot on low for 8-10 hours (or whatever constitutes "all day" in your life...this is a great recipe to start in the morning and then come home to after work).
5. Drain hominy and add to the pot for the last 2-3 hours or so of cooking.
6. Garnish with any or all of the following: fresh chopped cilantro, green onions, pickled (or not) red onions, thin-sliced radishes, queso fresco, fresh sliced hot peppers (I like serranos or anchos), avocado...I'm an "all of the above" type of dude.
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