Pozole Rojo

I’m a total soup junkie.  I could eat soup every single day of my life.  And, there’s no better time to make all sorts of soup than November in Minnesota!  Case in point, my weekend:  On Saturday, Melis and I got together for a “Battle of the Pozoles--Rojo vs. Verde" (Pozole Verde recipe here) and on Sunday, my parents came over for my Faux Pho.  Three amazing soups in 36 hours…definitely a good distraction from the brown grass and gray skies.

The jury is still out on exactly who won the Battle of the Pozoles.  I think in the end, it just might be a tie…a very delicious tie. 

We started with the Pozole Rojo which is basically a pork and hominy stew.  It’s a robust, earthy soup that’s satisfying on so many levels; it has heat from the serrano peppers, massive flavor from the garlic and herbs and that familiar taste of fall from a touch of ground cloves.  It truly is the perfect comfort food for a chilly fall day. 

Pozole Rojo

Inspired by an amalgamation of internet recipes; this is our final perfected version.

• 2 fresh poblano peppers
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 pound pork loin, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 onion, diced
• 10 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 serrano peppers, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chile powder
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 (19 oz) can red enchilada sauce
• 2 (29 oz) cans white hominy, drained and rinsed

Preheat your oven’s broiler and set the top rack about 6 inches from the heat source.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place the poblanos on the baking sheet.  Broil the peppers, turning frequently, until the skin is blackened and blistered.  Place blackened peppers into a bowl and tightly seal with plastic wrap.  Allow to cool for about 20 minutes.  When the peppers are cool, peel away the skin, discard the seeds and dice the poblanos.  Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot at medium high heat.  Add cubed pork loin.  Saute pork until all the juices are evaporated and pork begins to crisp on the outside (if necessary, add more olive oil to help out with the crisping process).  Remove pork and set aside. 

Add the remaining olive oil to the pot, heat to medium.  Saute onion and garlic until the onion has softened.  Stir in the poblanos, serranos, oregano, cumin, chile powder, cloves, salt and cilantro.  Cook for about 1 minute.  Pour in the chicken stock and enchilada sauce.  Stir in the pork.  Bring to a simmer over medium high heat.  Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.  Stir in hominy, recover and continue cooking for another hour or until the pork is tender.

Serve this comforting soup with a big dallop of sour cream, some diced avocado, a few sliced serranos (if you're brave) and a few sprigs of cilantro.  DELISH!

ENJOY!
~Julie