We’ve been making Posole since our days in San Diego back in 2002-2005. For those not familiar with it Posole is a traditional Mexican stew that can be different family by family…different meats, broths and veggies based on what they have available (either in their area or as leftovers in the fridge). Two staples of this dish though, are hominy (hulled corn with the bran & germ removed…when ground it becomes grits) and cabbage for garnish.
Christian discovered Posole from some co-workers at the time and we found a great Bobby Flay recipe back then that Christian has adapted and turned into his own over the years. We make this a lot….it’s one of our favorite super flavorful weeknight meals. Since Christian’s the master Posole maker in our house, his recipe is below (but this is a super adaptable recipe so play with it and make it your own!):
1-1 1/2 lbs chicken or pork (we prefer pork but both work…we really like boneless pork ribs or pork shoulder)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 large can of white hominy
1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
6 cups of chicken stock
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 ripe avocado
1 head of cabbage (green or red, but we love both)
1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Season chicken or pork with salt and pepper, saute in olive oil over medium heat until cooked through (or better yet, use leftover already cooked chicken or pork!). Let meat cool slightly, then shred with a two forks on a cutting board. Set aside
Finely chop (or puree/mash up using a blender or mortar & pestle as we do) 1-2 chipotles depending on how spicy you want the soup. Be careful here…I recommend just one unless you really like it hot, but taste the broth as you go and adjust accordingly keeping in mind that it’s much easier to make it more spicy than to make it less spicy!
Bring the chicken stock to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and add chopped chipotle and at least a teaspoon of the adobo sauce to make it nice and smoky. Drain the hominy and add to the stock. Add shredded meat and mushrooms if desired. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Serve posole in a bowl and garnish with sliced avocado, cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese and shredded cabbage (this last one often works better if you put it at the bottom of the bowl and then add the soup over it).
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