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Pozole

lingililingili - 6-16-2008 at 09:27 AM

For those of you who are still cold and maybe having Pozole withdrawals, here is a great, quick recipe anyone can make. We have even served it at Christmas gatherings to a large crowd! Hope you like it.

Quick Chicken (or other meat) Pozole
Recipe serves 3, double or triple if necessary

In a 3 or 4 quart pot combine:

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. salad oil
Cook above stirring until onion is lightly browned

Add:

1 1/4 lb chicken breasts skinless and cubed
1 Can (10 oz) red chili sauce
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 Cups chicken broth

bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer til chicken is done (about 10 minutes)

Add:

2 Cans (15 oz each) white or yellow hominy rinsed and drained (Personally I prefer the yellow, white tends to be too soft).

Reheat to simmering.

To serve: Ladle into bowls, top with shredded cheese and heap with shredded lettuce. Offer lime wedges and enjoy!
Muy delicioso!

[Edited on 6/16/08 by lingililingili]

BajaGringo - 6-16-2008 at 12:50 PM

This is one of my favorite dishes to prepare and we have prepared it substituting chunks of precooked Beef or pork as tasty variations. A spicy Bloody Mary goes great with this dish...

Hi, lili

Gypsy Jan - 6-16-2008 at 04:59 PM

Thanks for the quick recipe, it reads delicious.

Do you have any recipes for green or white pozole? I've read about the regional versions, but shortcut versions would be greatly welcomed.

aha baja - 6-16-2008 at 05:04 PM

celantro tambien

BajaGringo - 6-16-2008 at 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by aha baja
celantro tambien

Missed that - very important. Wouldn't be pozole without it.

Good catch...

lingililingili - 6-16-2008 at 07:46 PM

Yes, I should have said serve with lime and cilantro! I have never heard of white or green pozole! What kind of Mexican am I?

lingililingili - 6-16-2008 at 07:48 PM

Baja Gringo: Like the sunglasses! Not so scary!

Pozole, White and Green

Gypsy Jan - 6-16-2008 at 07:59 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pozole

I would love to see your comments on the info - Wikipedia is often not the last word on any subject (meaning the most authoritive).

GJ

[Edited on 6-17-2008 by Gypsy Jan]

lingililingili - 6-16-2008 at 09:23 PM

Gypsy Jan: My family is from Sonora and I don't remember anything but the red Pozole. This does not mean others do not exist. If Pozole is anything like Tamales there can be many different variations. I remember my mother making tamales out of beans, corn, and meat. Different sectors, different variations. I didn't even like spicy foods until recently so I wouldn't have even tasted Pozole in earlier years. I shall ask my relatives about these other colored Pozole's and see what they say, that should be interesting! I will let you know, I promise.

Quote:

Originally posted by Gypsy Jan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pozole

I would love to see your comments on the info - Wikipedia is often not the last word on any subject (meaning the most authoritive).

GJ

[Edited on 6-17-2008 by Gypsy Jan]

lingililingili - 6-17-2008 at 08:58 AM

Okay! Here's the scoop according to my family:

In the Yucatan and those parts their version of Pozole, either green or white is actually a "nasty" version of our Menudo with big chunks of tripe!

DianaT - 6-17-2008 at 09:54 AM

Over the years we have found pozole to be like tamales, mole, beans and most Mexican food. It is different in different regions----it is one of the many fun things about traveling Mexico, or as we say, eating our way through Mexico. :lol:

Actually, John makes my favorite pozole, and like most men I know who cook, he uses a little of this, a little of that and would never measure anything.

He once in a while suggests the idea of putting in a chicken foot which is the way it was served in Guadalajara many, many years ago. Chicken feet are just not that easy to find.

Diane

BMG - 6-17-2008 at 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jdtrotter Chicken feet are just not that easy to find.

Diane

Find the chicken head.

Grab it.

Turn the chicken over so the head is facing down.

You should now be able to find 2 chicken feet.

I've tried this.

It works most of the time.

DianaT - 6-17-2008 at 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BMG

Quote:

Originally posted by jdtrotter Chicken feet are just not that easy to find.

Diane

Find the chicken head.

Grab it.

Turn the chicken over so the head is facing down.

You should now be able to find 2 chicken feet.

I've tried this.

It works most of the time.

When we serve pozole, besides the chopped onion, lime and cilantro, we usually serve it with chopped cabbage and radishes.

Diane

lingililingili - 6-17-2008 at 10:27 AM

We found cabbage to be good too, especially cruising since cabbage keeps so much better than lettuce on a boat!

Bachoco Chicken

Gypsy Jan - 6-17-2008 at 12:22 PM

The whole chicken has one foot enclosed with the package of gizzard, giblets and liver. What they do with the other foot has kept me awake at nights, wondering.

I use the foot to enrich the chicken broth I make from the leftovers, but I don't embrace the Chinese custom of eating da feet.

BMG - 6-17-2008 at 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gypsy Jan
What they do with the other foot has kept me awake at nights, wondering.

Toothpicks.

G'nite.

Sharksbaja - 6-17-2008 at 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BMG

Quote:

Originally posted by Gypsy Jan
What they do with the other foot has kept me awake at nights, wondering.

Toothpicks.

G'nite.

Yum, that pic get's the juices flowing. The meal itself sounds very basic and good. Lingling, what brand of red chili sauce do you recommend?

lingililingili - 6-17-2008 at 01:08 PM

Sharksbaja: I just use Las Palmas Red Chile Sauce, not to be confused with Enchilada Sauce.

Cypress - 6-17-2008 at 01:11 PM

Can buy those chicken feet by the box down south in the US.

Maybe 5lbs.? Without the spurs it's not easy to tell the left from the right. :spingrin:

Hook - 8-28-2008 at 02:00 PM

We've had some delish pozole rojos in restaurants but in terms of making it at home, we cant get past the fact that the La Costena brand is so good right out of the can. Pretty spicy, too.

I'm with JD............gotta have radishes, cilantro, diced white onion, limes, cabbage and some dried oregano, too. We're not big on putting cheese in it but sometimes we like dollops of crema mexicana or sour cream.

sylens - 8-28-2008 at 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jdtrotter
Chicken feet are just not that easy to find.

Diane

at our local calimax, there's always a foot (yes, just one) :lol:

when you buy a whole chicken

thebajarunner - 8-28-2008 at 05:09 PM

MY wife, from Jalisco, always serves it with the hard tostada type tortillas, fresh hot/baked out of the oven.

And, chicken feet....
ate 'em once in a fancy Chinese place in San Francisco,
the wealthy Chinese host said "try them - very, very good"

I tried them,
tasted just like what I had thought chicken feet would taste like,
which means, not so good, actually

bajabound2005 - 8-28-2008 at 05:13 PM

This is my favorite Posole recipe...straight from Cooking Light. The Mexican exchange student that lived with us for year when we were still in the States LOVED it.

Pork Posole
There are three main versions of this hominy stew, each representing a color of the Mexican flag. Red posole, like this version, is made from dried chiles; our stew features ancho chiles. The green version is made from fresh chiles, and white posole has no chiles.

4 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into (1/2-inch) pieces
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 (15.5-ounce) cans white hominy, undrained
6 tablespoons sliced radishes
6 tablespoons chopped green onions
6 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
6 lime slices

Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Place chiles in pan; flatten with a spatula. Cook 10 seconds on each side or until blackened. Combine toasted chiles and 2 cups boiling water in a bowl; let stand 10 minutes or until soft. Place chile mixture in a blender or food processor; process until smooth.
Cook cumin seeds in a large Dutch oven over medium heat for 1 minute or until toasted and fragrant. Place in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground.

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove pork from pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 8 minutes or until onion is browned, stirring frequently. Stir in pork, pureed chiles, toasted ground cumin, broth, sugar, salt, and hominy; bring to a simmer. Cook 30 minutes or until pork is tender. Spoon 1 2/3 cups posole into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon radishes, 1 tablespoon green onions, and 1 tablespoon cilantro. Serve with lime slices.

Yield: 6 servings

CALORIES 376 (27% from fat); FAT 11.2g (sat 2.9g,mono 4.5g,poly 2.6g); IRON 4mg; CHOLESTEROL 67mg; CALCIUM 67mg; CARBOHYDRATE 37.4g; SODIUM 971mg; PROTEIN 30.7g; FIBER 7.4g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2004

Mexitron - 8-29-2008 at 05:22 AM

I originally got this White Pozole recipe from Emeril (ages ago before he went celeb on us) but have modified it a bit (I don't actually have the written recipe any more so this is what I recall!):

2 lbs pork neck (or any other miscellaneous pork parts)
1 whole chicken cut up
2 onions, diced
5 garlic cloves, diced
32 oz can white hominy
2 tsp oregano
pepper, salt

Sweat the onions and garlic in a little vegetable oil or lard, add the oregano. Put in the meat and add water to cover...simmer for a couple hours until meat is falling off the bone. Debone, if you wish to, at this point (I like serving it with the bones). Add hominy, including liquid, and simmer for another 15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Condiments:
radishes
diced onions
limes
cilantro
fresh oregano
red pepper flakes
tabasco sauce
fresh tomatoes
diced chiles
or anything else that sounds good!

Recipes

Skip_Mac - 8-29-2008 at 08:24 AM

Thanks for the recipe. I have tried three different ones in the last two months (single cook...one batch lasts several days). Do you have a tortilla soup recipe? I still drool when I remember the soup I hat in Ensenada years ago..

elizabeth - 8-29-2008 at 11:28 AM

All the recipes in this thread seem to be made with canned hominy. It's worth it to used the dried pozole corn...it has a little more texture. I buy mine mostly mail order from New Mexico. Over the years I have simplified my recipe, mostly based on the preferences of the guests that I feed. I start with a very large stock pot and simmer a whole chicken (free range sort) along with an onion and couple of cloves of garlic and some Mexican oregano. When the chicken is done and falling off the bone, I strain the stock, shred the chicken, and dump the onion and garlic. Then I add the pozole corn and cook until it flowers...season with salt, add the shredded chicken, and serve along with a homemade chile de arbol sauce for each person to add to taste....making the white pozole red! Condiments are finely shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, chopped white onion, and Mexican oregano.

I used to use pork as well, but most people liked it with the chicken alone, and none of my friends seemed to want their portion of the pig's ear!

Definitely comfort food!!! And really, the dried corn does make a difference.

Edited to put the chicken back in!!!

[Edited on 8-29-2008 by elizabeth]

Did someone say Foodies?

Lee - 8-29-2008 at 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by elizabeth
All the recipes in this thread seem to be made with canned hominy. It's worth it to used the dried pozole corn...it has a little more texture. I buy mine mostly mail order from New Mexico.

Interesting. I do the same but with ''blue corn'' from Santa Fe. The blue corn will turn everything dark blue and keep it's color. It'll also be more al dente. (Soak the corn for 2 days.)

In another recipe, I add roasted serranos, tomatillos and onions after pulsing everything in a food processor for the verde version.

Doesn't get better.

Any Rick Bayless fans here? He had a PBS show back in the 70s and has another series now, MEXICO: One Plate at a Time in it's 6th season on PBS. Couple MX restaurants in Chicago and a GREAT MX cook book: Authentic Mexican. Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico.

http://www.rickbayless.com/

elizabeth - 8-29-2008 at 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lee

Any Rick Bayless fans here? He had a PBS show back in the 70s and has another series now, MEXICO: One Plate at a Time in it's 6th season on PBS. Couple MX restaurants in Chicago and a GREAT MX cook book: Authentic Mexican. Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico.

http://www.rickbayless.com/

A fan of Rick Bayless, Zarela Martinez, and of course, the matriarch of all, who spent many years collecting Mexican family recipes, and who is the recepient of the Order of the Aztec Eagle...Diana Kennedy.

tripledigitken - 8-29-2008 at 02:08 PM

Lee,

Si on Rick Bayless! Great show especially the filmed parts in Mexico. If we ever get to Chicago will surely try his restaurant.

Elizabeth,

Agree on Diane Kennedy, great cookbook. Just recently made one of her great salsa recipes.

Ken

docsmom - 9-3-2008 at 09:28 AM

Oh, Rick Bayless! Docsdad knows Rick's on "the list" (meaning if Rick comes for me, I'm outta here!)

I have the Mexico One Plate at a Time cookbook and if you don't have it you shoud get it!
Shrimp in Mojo de Ajo!
Fish a la Veracruzana!
Red Chile Pork Tamales (wrapped in banana leaves)!
Incredible recipes. Can't be matched!
And the cookbook is written just like Rick speaks. It's one of my favorites!
Now I'm hungry...........

Posole AND Tamals

Lee - 9-3-2008 at 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by docsmom
And the cookbook is written just like Rick speaks. It's one of my favorites!
Now I'm hungry...........

Wife questioned WHY I had so many Rick Bayless programs recorded on TIVO. I said well the Season Pass Manager is programmed to record all his shows. She'd not heard of him. After showing her one of his programs, she still didn't get it -- she said he talked too ''slow.''

She does love my Red Chile Pork Tamales though. Rick's receipe.

Here's a list of ''wrappers.'' I like the dried corn husks -- easier to find. Steam them well before using them.

''The Wrappers
The most common wrapper for a tamal is the dried corn husk. There are many other variations including fresh corn husks, fresh corn leaves, banana leaves (fresh or frozen) as well as the membrane from a type of agave plant. In other variations leafy Swiss chard or chaya leaves are used to hold the masa morsels.

Dried Corn Husks
Dried corn husks are the most commonly used tamal wrapper. Most of the corn husks found in the U.S. are smaller than the husks sold in Mexico. About seven years ago a new "style" husk was introduced to the U.S. market. This style is called "enconchada" which refers to the "conch shell shape" of the stacked husks. The enconchada husks are of a higher quality and come in at least three sizes varying from 7" - 9". They are even available packed in water for immediate use. Normally the husks must be weighted down in water and soaked for at least 10 minutes to make them pliable and ready for use.

Fresh Corn Husks
The fresh corn husks (not dried) are used in the Northern Veracruz to make green corn tamales. In Michoacan fresh corn tamales are produced called tamales de elote.

Fresh Corn Leaves
Diana Kennedy describes how fresh corn leaves are folded into "five-pointed sextahedron shapes" called corrundas. There is alternative, less complex method that produces a triangle shaped tamal. The fresh leaves actually impart an enhanced corn flavor.

Banana Leaves
Banana leaves are quite large and make very efficient wrappers for the larger style tamales. It is best to pick young fresh, tender leaves if you have a plant available. Otherwise they are available frozen in many Latin markets. To prepare you have to slice the leaf along the central rib, and remove the rib. The leaves must be heated and wilted over an open high flame to make them flexible. Once cooled, masa is placed on the "smooth" side of the leaf. Tamales are later boiled, or steamed.

Chaya Leaves
Chaya also know as Jatropha aconitifolia or Cnidoscolus Chayamansa is similar to spinach and even richer in iron. This plant was well known to the Mayan culture and is still available in some parts of Mexico. The leaves are used medicinally, as well as a cooked or raw vegetable. The raw leaves are also used as a tamal wrapper.

Tamalon
The tamalon is actually a large tamal that serves many people. You can use a simple smooth (not terry cloth) dish towel to wrap this giant tamale. Typical ingredients are masa with seasonings mixed with strips of swiss chard. The tamal is steamed then unwrapped, sliced like a jellyroll and served.''

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/tamales.htm