I Love Mexico... Yes I Do! I love Mexico, How About...



delicious, delicious, delicious



For those of you that have known me a long time, you know how I went through many phases of my love/hate relationship with my culture. I loved the food. I hated being stereotyped. I loved going to Mexico on vacation, I refused to speak Spanish for four years in America... This led to my parents' decision to take us all to Mexico for a month in order to recover the Spanish I  lost due to my refusal to speak it... I can definitely laugh about this now! I am grateful for the heritage I have, for the sacrifice my ancestors made, and most of all, for my parents desire to hold on to some type of culture. Since 5 de Mayo is around the corner, I decided to post a favorite recipe of mine that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own casa.

POSOLE ROJO:

3/4 cup dried chiles de arbol

4 or 5 dried ancho chiles

6 cloves garlic (2 smashed, 4 finely chopped)

KOSHER SALT

2 lb pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut in half

2 t. ground cumin

2 T. vegetable oil

1 large white onion, chopped

8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 T. dried oregano (find the MEXICAN kind in the MEXICAN AISLE)

1 bay leaf

3 15-ounce cans white hominy, drained and rinsed

Diced avocado, shredded cabbage, diced onion, sliced radishes and/or fresh cilantro, for topping

1. Break all the stems off the chiles de arbol and ancho chiles and shake out as many seeds as possible. Put the chiles in a bowl and over with boiling water; weigh down the chiles with a plate to keep them submerged and soak until soft, so 30 minutes. Transfer the chiles and 1 1/2 cups of the soakng liquid to a blender. Add the smashed garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt and blend until smooth. Strain thru a fine-mesh SIEVE into a bowl, pushing the sauce thru with a rubber spatula; discard the solids.

2. Rub the pork all over with the cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt; set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and cook 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high. Push the onion and garlic to one side of the pot; add the pork to the other side and sear, turning, until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes/

3. Stir in 2 cups water, the chicken broth, oregano, bay leaf, 1/2 t. salt and 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of the chile sauce. Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Partially cover and cook, turning the pork a few times, until tender, about 3 hours.

4.Stir in the hominy and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the pork starts falling apart, about 1 more hour. Remove the bay leaf. Transfer the pork to a cutting board; roughly chop and return to the pot. Add some water or broth if the posole is too thick. Season with salt.

*Serve with cabbage, cilantro, and radish.