Pozole, Ole!

Pozole is a Mexican stew made with a spicy broth and hominy. I think hominy is weird, but it is required for this delightful dish. I hated it as a child but as an adult I have acquired a taste for it.

The key to great pozole is to serve it with several garnishes so people can flavor their soup to their own liking.

Pozole recipe:

Four small cans or 2 large cans of hominy, drained but reserving liquid
2 lbs boneless chicken breast or boneless pork shoulder cubed
1 t. cumin
1 or 2 T. pureed chipotle chilis (put two in the blender w/ a couple of teaspoons of water)
2 t. dried oregano
2 or 3 garlic cloves minced
handful of chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Garnishes to serve is small bowls:
sliced radishes
chopped onion
chopped avocado
chopped cilantro
warm corn tortillas

To make the pozole, put the liquid from the hominy into a large pot. Add cumin, chipotle, and oregano to broth. Taste it and adjust the spiciness by adding more chipotle. Add the chicken or pork. The liquid should cover the meat. Add some water if necessary. Simmer over low heat for an hour. Add the hominy and simmer for 50 minutes over low head. Taste and adjust the seasonings. You can add more oregano or more cumin or chipotle according to your taste. Then add the chopped garlic and the cilantro. Simmer gently for 10 more minutes. If the soup turns too thick at any point add water.

Serve the pozole in bowls with the garnishes.