RECIPE: Pozole Rojo

Okay, so this blog is dedicated to Kim (Love) Pease!! She suggested I do a weekly recipe in my blog, and well, I am kind of savvy in the kitchen and enjoyed the compliment so here it goes...

This weekend I made a pozole for the family. Mom was here this long weekend so I opted out of the green version (since it promised to be hella h-o-t) and went for the red pozole instead.

The original white pozole was said to have been created in Chilapa, Guerero, in the 18th century one day when an important prelate came to visit. Legend has it that cooks had prepared huge quantities of nixtamal (corn kernels that had been soaked and softened) many days in advance...but ended up not having enough people to grind the corn into maize for tortillas. Desperate to make food for the guests, the maize was thrown into pots, with chicken and herbs and PRESTO! Pozole was born.

In Jalisco and Michoacan, where ELi's family is from, pozole ROJO was born. This stew is enrichened with red chiles. GREEN pozole is traditionally made by adding tomatillos and pepitas (roasted and ground pumpkin seeds), and other greens. ALWAYS serve pozole wth lime wedges please :)



POZOLE ROJO:

**1- 3lb. chicken, cut up into 8-10 pieces (don't cheat, it tastes better when you have cut it yourself)
**1/2 onion
**3-4 cloves of garlic (remember larger cloves are less intense...use to your taste. I use 4!)
**4 tsp. salt, divided
**1 sprig of cilantro
**2lbs boneless lean pork (I see whats on sale, but use a thick cut)
**1lb pork butt
**1 huge can of hominy, I think they are 3+lbs per can (or 4ish 25 ounce cans.)
**dried oregano
**chopped onion
**ground chile pequin (I use chili flakes in a pinch)
**a few halved limes
(FOR THE "ROJO"):
**10-12 chiles guajillos (these are dried & arent very hot but they have lots of flavor), seeds removed.
**1/2c water
**1/4 onion
**4 cloves garlic
**7TBSP oil

** Place chicken pieces in a large pot or dutch oven and rinse once. Add 1tsp of the salt, the half onion, and the whole cloves of garlic and the one sprig of cilantro to the pot. Cover with 10 cups (80oz) fresh water, bring to a boil and simmer, covered, over medium heat for 20 minutes. Skim and scum that reaches the surface...if you fail to do this, it turns to a grease film on the top and that is yuck. Once chicken is tender, transfer the chicken to a plate and cool enough to shred from the bones. Reserve the stock.

**Place the pork, pork butt, and remaining salt in a large pot and cover with 14 cups of water (112oz). When the water comes to the boil, skim scum from the surface and cook over medium heat for about an hour. Add about 3/4 of the huge can of hominy and a few pinches of oregano and cook for another 20 minutes or so...the flavors will deepen. Remove the meat and shred...believe me it wont take much work! It will be VERY tender.

**For the "rojo" sauce, soak the chiles in hot water to cover for 20 minutes to soften them. Drain. In a blender, puree the chiles with the fresh water, garlic and onion. Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat, add the chile puree and saute for 5 minutes to develop the flavor. Lower the heat and cook for an additional 10 minutes. It will be pastey but not too stiff.

**Place the shredded pork back into its pot with the stock and hominy. Add the shredded chicken and the chicken stock to the pot as well. Add your rojo sauce to the pot and adjust the seasonings. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.

**Serve with lime halves or quarters, dried oregano, chopped onion, dried chili flakes/powder as an accompaniment. Also, some like shredded cabbage, radish, and/or shredded iceberg lettuce passed around to add as needed.

Eli likes me to make pozoles and menudos the night before because they taste better the next day. This will make a massive quantity (serves 12), but will not be stored for long as it is quite easy to eat (my mom ate a couple of bowls so it isnt too spicy...she is a lightweight) and served with corn or flour tortillas makes a one pot meal.

Read the recipe through and decide when you do what. I personally did the chicken and let it cool and shred it while the pork was going. I gave the kiddos each a small piece of chicken since a 5-ponder was all I could get my hands on. Then I added everything as it slowly came together. ALSO, you can omit the rojo sauce and it will be considered "blanco" or white. It is tasty too, and is comforting and nourishing when you are sick when you want more of a bland diet. Keep in mind, DON'T be intimidated by those chilies...they are there more for flavor than for heat.

Okay, so make a pot already!! ~Jeni

*******NOTE: I am adding directions for a spicy Pozole Verde!!!*******

If you want a hot version do the Verde Pozole...instead of adding the Rojo sauce add this:
2 cups hulled, raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
3-5 chile serranos (don't be afraid to nip one with your teeth before you buy them so you know if you need more)
1 lb. tomatillos, husks removed and washed
2 leaves of lettuce
3 small radish leaves
1/4 onion
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 TBSP oil
1 tsp. salt

Toast pumpkin seeds in a dry hot pan. Keep your eyes on them so they don't burn. When they start to pop they are done. Transfer to a blender and wiz them up until they are a paste that is smooth. Scoop into a bowl and set aside. Rinse out your blender.

Bring large pot of water to the boil and add the chiles and cook for 5 minutes. Add those tomtillos and cook for a further 5 minutes...drain and set aside. Puree your chiles, tomatillos, lettuce, radish leaves, onion and chicken stock.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add pumpkin seend paste and saute for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the pureed tomatillo blend and boil for 2 minutes. Add the salt, lower the heat and cook for 7 minutes, stirring constantly. Adjust seasonings to your liking.

Add this sauce to the pozole INSTEAD of the Rojo sauce for something different. It will be hotter and you can add as many serranos as you like to adjust the heat. We use mexican crema or sour cream in this version as an accompaniment.