It is officially soups and stews weather! There is nothing better than a bowl of warm goodness to take the chill out of the air. And this recipe, laced with a touch of roasted hot peppers, is sure to do the trick.
Posole is a hearty, traditional Mexican stew that’s made with pork and hominy. In the fall, when there are so many great pumpkins at the farmers’ market, I also like to add those in for extra heartiness.
When cooking with pumpkin, you want to make sure to get the right kind. Your regular pumpkin that you carve for Halloween is really just decorative. You want a pumpkin that has flavor and is not too high in moisture content. In general, sugar pie pumpkins are great. They hold their shape through the cooking process and have a great texture after they have been stewed. You could also use a winter squash as well. Either way, make a big pot of this, and it will help to get you through these crisp fall nights!
Pumpkin and Pork Posole (serves 6)
- 2 cans hominy, rinsed*
1 small sugar pumpkin, peeled and cubed
1 ½ lbs. pork butt, cut in ½-inch cubes
2 cups onions, small diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. oregano, minced
1 Tbsp. cumin seed, ground
3-5 green chilies, depending on spice preference - kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. chili powder
6 cups chicken stock
4 Tbsp. corn oil
½ bunch cilantro
lime juice, to taste
Saute the aromatics: In a large pot, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until beginning to soften, about three minutes. Stir in the oregano, chile powder, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Add the pork and stir to coat with the seasonings. Add the chicken stock and 2 cups of water, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until the pork is cooked through, 45-50 minutes.
Roast chilies and combine: Meanwhile, roast the chilies over a gas flame and then peel. Remove the seeds and slice chilies into thin strips.
Add the pumpkin: Add the hominy, pumpkin and prepared chilies to the broth and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes until pumpkin is tender; skim any fat.
When everything is tender, serve garnished with cilantro. Season with salt, pepper and lime juice, to taste.
*I prefer to use canned hominy as opposed to buying dried and soaking it overnight; not only is it less hassle, I find the dried hominy never gets tender enough for my liking.
