Posole

[CWS4322]

Okay--I have the blue hominy/posole soaking (I read 48 hours), I have the pork stew pieces thawing...any tips on how to make this sing? I've never made this before (or eaten it), but am more or less following the instructions on the bag and Posole Recipe from Santa Fe School of Cooking.

 

[Andy M.]

Consider Mexican oregano, cumin, coriander seed or tomatillos.

 

[CWS4322]

I have frozen tomatillos out the ying-yang, and Mexican oregano.

 

[Andy M.]

I have frozen tomatillos out the ying-yang,...

...tempting, but I'll pass.

 

[roadfix]

I love posoles. My wife makes them on occasion.

 

[CWS4322]

I love posoles. My wife makes them on occasion.

How does she make it (seasoning wise)?

 

[CWS4322]

...tempting, but I'll pass.

Believe it or not, tomatillos, once seeded, grow like weeds in SE Ontario....the DH HATES them and rips the plants out. The more he rips them out, the more they multiply...

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

If you look into the history of Posole (Pozole), you might be suprized to learn that the original meat in the dish was prisoners. The dish was presented to the ancient Mexican King with a human thigh garnishing the top. When canabalizm was outlawed, after the Spanish arrived, pork was used as it was similar in flavor to the original meat. Don't think I'll be making the "original" version of Posole.

Don't know if I can purchace the proper corn around these parts to make the more modern version, sans thigh.

Suprizingly, this soup sounds suspiciously like the Native American made corn chowder made in the Great Lakes region.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Steve Kroll]

I made a large batch of posole using white hominy last fall. Did you nixtamalize the corn with lime ("Cal"), or are you just soaking in water? I ask this because I think nixtamalization is an important step in getting the right texture. Not to mention is really gives the corn a fantastic flavor.

As far as seasonings, I keep it pretty traditional. Dried chilis are a must. I like a combination of anchos, guajillas, and a couple of tabasco or cayenne peppers for heat. Also, cumin and oregano. That's about it.

I love Posole. It's an ancient dish and one of the few foods that I feel truly shows what can be done with (mostly) indigenous ingredients from North America.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I made a large batch of posole using white hominy last fall. Did you nixtamalize the corn with lime ("Cal"), or are you just soaking in water? I ask this because I think nixtamalization is an important step in getting the right texture. Not to mention is really gives the corn a fantastic flavor.

As far as seasonings, I keep it pretty traditional. Dried chilis are a must. I like a combination of anchos, guajillas, and a couple of tabasco or cayenne peppers for heat. Also, cumin and oregano. That's about it.

I love Posole. It's an ancient dish and one of the few foods that I feel truly shows what can be done with (mostly) indigenous ingredients from North America.

What about baked beans, made with maple syrup. This is a truly American Food. Ah, but wait. This is about Posole. Where do you get the special corn, and the food-grade lime?

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[texherp]

I posted something a few months ago about making posole. I finally got ahold of some dried hominy, and will be trying that out. Before that, I made fresh hominy from corn and ashes. There is a variety of dried corn they sell at the Mexican market that has huge kernels that make nice big posole. But I also tried it out on deer corn and it worked out too, just smaller and EXTREMELY corny tasting. What I like about making hominy form scratch is you can take it to any level you want: less cooked for tortillas and tamales, and more cooked for posole.

 

[Andy M.]

I suppose canned hominy is considered an abomination...

 

[CWS4322]

Chief--I ordered the blue posole online from Blue Corn for Posole when I was in MN in August. I assume "already treated" means that it has been properly prepared...I can't get canned or dried hominy here.

 

[SherryDAmore]

I make Cook's Illustrated's version and it is delicious; http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/detail.asp?docid=26456

 

[Steve Kroll]

Where do you get the special corn, and the food-grade lime?

I get the corn from the same place CWS linked to, Purcell Mountain Farms.

The lime can be bought in pretty much any Mexican food market. A lot of regular food markets may have it, too, but I haven't looked.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I suppose canned hominy is considered an abomination...

I wouldn't think so. It goes through the same process. I've used it many times and like it.

I bought the raw corn this last year only because I wanted to see what all was involved in making it from scratch. Sort of an food experiment, if you will. It's not so much a lot of work, but it is time consuming. On top of the nixtamalization & rinsing, it takes an entire day or two of soaking to prepare the corn for the dish.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I assume "already treated" means that it has been properly prepared...

I'm not so sure about that. I bought my corn from the same place, and was told that it hadn't been treated with lime. Maybe they sell both treated and untreated varieties, though.

 

[Andy M.]

I wouldn't think so. It goes through the same process. I've used it many times and like it.

I bought the raw corn this last year only because I wanted to see what all was involved in making it from scratch. Sort of an food experiment, if you will. It's not so much a lot of work, but it is time consuming. On top of the nixtamalization & rinsing, it takes an entire day or two of soaking to prepare the corn for the dish.

OK. Good to know.

I made a posole once and didn't like it so haven't tried again.

 

[Timothy]

Very interesting. Until now, I'd never heard of it. I had to look it up just to see what it is:

Pozole - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It sounds pretty darn good to me!

 

[PattY1]

I suppose canned hominy is considered an abomination...

Well then call me the Abominal Posole Queen....