[CH] Pozole Rojo

green56 (green56@PioneerPlanet.infi.net)
Sun, 26 Dec 1999 07:37:05 -0600 

'Heads,

Found this on iWon this a.m.  Ittiz copy-righted to Epicurious as I've
noted at the bottom of the recipe.  I've not tired it, but it sounds
awfully good - if a lot of work.

green


Pork and Hominy Stew with Red Chiles (Pozole Rojo) 

      1 large head garlic
      12 cups water
      4 cups chicken broth
      4 pounds country-style pork ribs
      1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican), crumbled
      2 ounces dried New Mexico red chiles
      1 1/2 cups boiling-hot water
      1/4 large white onion
      3 teaspoons salt
      two 30-ounce cans white hominy (preferably Bush's Best)
      8 corn tortillas
      about 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

      Accompaniments:
      diced avocado
      thinly sliced iceberg or romaine lettuce
      chopped white onion
      diced radishes
      lime wedges
      dried oregano
      dried hot red pepper flakes 

 Peel garlic cloves and reserve 2 for chile sauce. Slice remaining
garlic. In a 7- to 8-quart
 heavy kettle bring water and broth just to a boil with sliced garlic
and pork. Skim surface
 and add oregano. Gently simmer pork, uncovered, until tender, about 1
1/2 hours.

 While pork is simmering, wearing protective gloves, discard stems from
chiles and in a
 bowl combine chiles with boiling-hot water. Soak chiles, turning them
occasionally, 30
 minutes. Cut onion into large pieces and in a blender purée with chiles
and soaking liquid,
 reserved garlic, and 2 teaspoons salt until smooth.

 Transfer pork with tongs to a cutting board and reserve broth mixture.
Shred pork, using 2
 forks, and discard bones. Rinse and drain hominy. Return pork to broth
mixture and add
 chile sauce, hominy, and remaining teaspoon salt. Simmer pozole 30
minutes and, if
 necessary, season with salt. Pozole may be made 2 days ahead and
chilled, covered.

 While pozole is simmering, stack tortillas and halve. Cut halves
crosswise into thin strips.
 In a 9- to 10-inch skillet heat 1/2 inch oil until hot but not smoking
and fry tortilla strips in 3
 or 4 batches, stirring occasionally, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer tortilla strips with
 a slotted spoon as fried to brown paper or paper towels to drain.
Transfer tortilla strips to a
 bowl. Tortilla strips may be made 1 day ahead and kept, covered, at
room temperature.

 Serve pozole with tortilla strips and bowls of accompaniments.

 Serves 8 as a main course.

© Epicurious, 1999