Peace and Hominy

If you have not read the book "Like Water for Chocolate" then I can't possibly recommend it highly enough. I do, however, suggest that you read it with a napkin nearby to wipe the drool from your chin as you read Laura Esquivel's magical descriptions of traditional Mexican cooking. I think it was that book that made me want nothing more than to become a Mexican grandmother, capable of performing miracles with food; stews infused with love and tamales succulent with tradition. However, for now, I must admit I'm certainly in the fledgling stages of this dream, with the latest chapter being my attempt at Mexican Pozole.

Like my search for the perfect Green Chile recipe, I found that Pozole recipes differ dramatically in almost every element of the recipes. It seems that these traditional dishes differ from family to family in how they are made and what they are made of, so I took some inspiration from a few recipes I found online and created something that I am calling Pozole. The one consistency between recipes did seem to be the use of the ingredient hominy, which is essentially dried and treated corn. It can be found at any Mexican grocer, as well as most supermarkets with a Mexican food section. It can be bought either dried or canned, much like beans, meaning the dried version must be soaked to soften. They taste something like a corn tortilla but have the consistency of a potato, adding a heartiness to the Pozole stew. I bought canned, but in the future I would love to start with the dried in my quest to make my food more ethnically authentic. 

In the end, the dish I made was so entirely unlike the Mexican Pozole that Ryan had eaten at a party about a year ago and that had inspired the project that it probably should be given a new name (perhaps Pozole Americana?). However, whatever I made did seem to make a delicious breakfast over eggs with a side of toast. It also made an excellent dinner with cilantro and sour cream on top.

This post is meant to focus on hominy, but I must put in a side note about cilantro: did you know a lot of people think it tastes like soap? My college roommate and cooking buddy Lanie was one of them, but I quickly realized she wasn't alone. I am certainly not one of those people, believing that cilantro should be eaten on just about everything, but I just want all of you cilantro haters out there that you are not alone in your soapy conception. Find comfort in that fact, and then make this Pozole anyways.

Pozole Americana
3 tbsp olive oil
3/4 pound chopped pork or for vegetarians, try eggplant instead
1 onion chopped
4 garlic cloves minced
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
1 24 oz. container chicken or veggie stock plus 1.5 cups water
1 8 oz. can diced green chiles
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 30 oz. can hominy or 1 bag dried and soaked
salt and pepper to taste


Cook pork in 1 tbsp olive oil until browned. Put aside. If using eggplant, leave in. Add the onion, garlic and the rest of the olive oil and cook until onions are soft and translucent. Add the cumin and coriander and cook another minute. Add the chicken stock and water, chiles, tomatoes, hominy, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Let boil for 3 to 5 minutes, then turn to low and simmer one hour. 
This recipe makes quite a few recipes, so you can enjoy for a couple of days, or freeze some for a day you don't feel like cooking.