Pozolé
SERVE WITH FRUITY REDS:
Carignan
/ Valdiguie
/ Zinfandel
/ Beaujolais
Pozolé (or
Posolé) is a traditional Hispanic stew version of
Native American hominy. Hominy is corn that has had the
hull and germ removed, by soaking in either slaked lime
or lye. It is then parched and dried and used in many
different recipes, including the ground version called
grits, popular in the Southern U.S. Dried hominy
must be soaked and rinsed several times to remove the
lime, but thankfully there is the more common canned and
ready-to-use version for this recipe.
This Pozolé was
a hit at our Bargain
BBQ Reds
tasting and was sensational with the fruitiest reds and
really good with the other reds that were under 13%
alcohol. Pozolé is easy, colorful, flavorful, and
economical, and may be used as a main course or as a
complex and tasty side dish for simple grilled or roasted
meats or fish. The *garnish medley is important to the
panoply of flavors and make the difference between a
merely savory, interesting dish and a really exciting
taste-fest. Takes about 90 minutes to prepare, but is
best made a day ahead and refrigerated, allowing the
flavors to marry.
• 1-2 green
Serrano (or Jalapeño) peppers
• 3 medium size sweet bell peppers (more colors=more
visual appeal)
• 1 large Bermuda (or Maui) onion
• 2 to 4 cloves fresh garlic
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 to 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or
pork shoulder (or a combination)
• 1 Tbs. ground cumin
• 2 - 10.5 oz. cans chicken broth
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 - 20 oz. cans Hominy (one white, one yellow, if
available) with liquid
*GARNISH
MEDLEY
(prepare all just prior to serving)
• medium thin-sliced radishes (2-3 radishes per
serving)
• chopped avocado (1 whole per 3-4 servings)
• plucked fresh cilantro leaves (10-15 per
serving)
• lime wedges (2-3 per serving)
Using tongs to hold the
stem, char the Serrano pepper skins over an open flame
(on your gas stove, a candle, a portable butane torch, or
if all else fails, flick your Bic!). Allow it to cool and
chop medium fine. Remove and discard the stems, seeds,
and cores of the sweet bell peppers and slice into 1-inch
by 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 to 2 cups). Peel, remove and
discard the ends of the onion and slice into pieces
1-inch by 1/4-inch or smaller. Crush the garlic cloves,
remove and discard the peels, and coarsely chop. In a
Dutch oven or deep frying pan, over medium-high heat,
sauté the peppers. onion, and garlic in 1 Tsp.
olive oil for three or four minutes, stirring every few
seconds, until onions are translucent and just beginning
to brown. Remove all to Pyrex or heat-resistant
bowl.
Cut meat into
bite-size, 1/2-inch cubes and sauté, in the same
pan in the remaining olive oil, turning or stirring to
brown all sides. Add cumin and chicken broth and stir.
Add peppers and onion mixture and the liquid only
from the Hominy. Bring to boil (stir every minute or so),
lowering heat to simmer for 20 minutes. Add the Hominy
and continue simmering another 20 minutes. Add water or
more chicken broth if necessary to maintain soupy stew
consistency. Don't overcook or allow to mush-up.
Approximately eight servings as a main course in large
soup bowls with the garnishes floated on top. Squeeze one
lime wedge over each portion and have more ready to pass.
Steam (or nuke 15
seconds on high) and roll flour tortillas to accompany.
As a side dish, it can circle or share a plate with
slices of roast, pieces of chicken, chops, a steak or a
fish fillet. Leftovers may be frozen. Besides fruity
reds, Pozolé also works well with fruity whites,
such as Rieslings, Gewürztraminers, Chenin Blancs,
and Sauvignon Blancs. Avoid wines over 12%
alcohol.
by
Jim
LaMar
(originally inspired by Roy Harland)
WINE
& FOOD
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