As I mentioned in my earlier post, holidays in our home meant Pozole and bunuelos. Sadly I feel I might not get around to making bunuelos this year, but I do want to share a pozole recipe. I cannot even begin to count how many times over the years my mom has made pozole. She typically makes pozole rojo (red) flavored with ancho chiles, I really owe my love for ancho (dried poblanos) to her. Pozole does take time (hence the margaritas), but the rewards are truly worth it in the end. A big , yes big steamy pot of pozole is sure to warm your home this holiday season. Pozole verde is very different from pozloe rojo, as it contains pumpkinseeds, tomatillos and jalapenos. The pumpkin seeds are toasted then blended together with the tomatillos and broth from the meat to give your pozole a layer of earthy flavor. Pork and chicken are simmered for three hours and hoja santa and epazote are added. Hominy soaks in the green pozole broth perfectly only adding to the pleasure of this wonderful bowl of green goodness.
My mom always added extra hominy to her pozole, as we were addicted to the soft kernels. I have continued this as my girls also enjoy hominy and find any chance to please myself as well. Please be sure to use a long ladle as they hominy tends to swim at the bottom. Here in Edinburg, Texas our temperature remains in the high 70s, not allowing this to ruin my holiday mood. I cranked up my ac, ladled myself a big heaping bowl of pozole verde to accompany my guava margarita. Enjoy! Sweet Life!
condiments really add to the fun of pozole, radishes, avocado, lime, tostadas, cabbage,cilantro are all welcome addition, these condiments presented at table side allow each person to personalize their own. Be warned this pozole feeds 10 to 12, hefty bowls, but who wouldn’t want leftovers?
Here is a little information about two of the fresh herbs you will need to make Pozole Verde.
epazote – Chenopodium ambrosioides , also known as pigweed or Mexican tea comes from the Nahuatl word, epazotl. Many people consider epazote a acquired taste. Adds a pepper, licorice flavor to foods. Can be found fresh in many Mexican markets or is available dried, but the taste does change dramatically. One teaspoon is equal to almost one branch or 7 oz of fresh epazote. Fresh epazote can be kept wrapped in plastic film for about a week.
image from Media Post
Hoja Santa – piper sanctum, is a member of the black-pepper family. Hoja santa has similar taste to anise. Hoja Santa is used to wrap tamales, fish, meat or cheese. To flavor Mole verde, soups and eggs. The flavor is at it’s best when fresh, but can be purchased dried. If you cannot find hoja santa you can substitute with fennel bulb tops.
image from Yucatan Flora
Pozole Verde
by Rick Bayless
from Authentic Mexican
serve 10-12 hefty bowls
————–
4 quarts canned hominy, drained and rinsed
8 ounces lean, boneless pork shoulder, in a single piece
About 8 ounces pork neck (or other pork) bones
1 small (21/2- pound) chicken, halved
2 2/3 cups (12 ounces) hulled, untoasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 pound (about 11 medium) fresh tomatillos, husked and washed or 2 (13oz) cans tomatillos drained
6 serranos or 3 jalapenos, stemmed and seeded
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 large sprigs epazote
2 small leaves hoja santa
2 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
salt, about 1 tbsp
—————–
condiments
1 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup dried oregano
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and diced in 1/2 inch chunks
2 cups chicharron (crisp fried pork rinds), broken into 1 inch pieces
12- 15 crisp fried tortillas (tostadas)
4 limes, cut into quarters
——————–
Measure 7 quarts water into a stockpot and add meat, bones and chicken.
Bring to a boil, skim off the foam for the first 5 minutes of simmering, partially cover and cook over medium-low heat for 3 hours.
Add water periodically to bring it back to its original level.
While meat is cooking heat a large (12 inch) skillet for a few minutes over medium-low heat.
Add the pumpkin seeds in a shallow layer and, when the first one pops, stir them constantly for several minutes, until all have popped and turned a golden color.
Remove the seeds to a large bowl.
————————
The soup base puree
Cook fresh tomatillos until tender in salted water to cover, about 10 minutes.
Drain either the fresh or canned tomatillos and add to the pumpkin seeds, along with the green chile, onion and herbs.
Remove 2 cups of broth from the pot and pour over the mixture.
Scoop half the mixture into a blender jar and blend until smooth; if mixture is too thick to move through the blades, add a little more broth to get it going again.
Strain through a medium mesh sieve, then repeat the pureeing and straining with the rest of the mixture.
Set a large skillet over medium high heat and measure in the lard or oil.
When hot enough to make a drop of puree really sizzle, add it all at once and stir constantly for about 7 minutes, until thickened noticeably.
Remove from fire.
————–
Finishing the pozole verde
Remove the meat and bones from the pot and set aside to cool.
Stir the pumpkin seed mixture into the pot. If you are using canned hominy add it now.
Let simmer for an hour, stirring frequently to ensure that nothing is sticking to the bottom of pot.
While the soup is simmering, skin and bone the chicken and pork, removing all the fat; shred the meat into large strands.
Fifteen minutes before serving, season the soup with salt (hominy requires considerable salt) and add the shredded meat to the pot.
Place the condiments on the table in small serving dishes.
Finally dish up a large bowl of the pozole verde for each guest and pass the condiments for each guest to help themselves.
Just found your blog through Pinterest and I’m thrilled beyond belief! I retired to Mexico almost 2 years ago. My Spanish isn’t the best, and I’m sure you know how school Spanish and real Spanish differ. Not to mention the different ways meat is cut here! I love that you use genuine Mexican ingredients. I love the local cooking here (near Guadalajara) and north of the border recipes often use stuff we can’t find here. All that said, canned hominy is one of those things that doesn’t exist. I can get vacuum packed “pre-cooked” hominy in the refrigerator section. It’s quite firm. At what point in the recipe would I add this to be sure it gets done?
Hi darling,
Just to tell how thankful I am for your kindness and lovely comments in my humble blog. I love your site and when I have time, I’m always coming here for inspiration.
Cheers,
Lia.
I´ve been wanting to buy Rick Bayless cookbooks, but it´s pointless doing so since most Mexican ingredients are not available here.
Los filipinos hacen buñuelos de viento durante Todos Los Santos (Nov. 1) o el día de los muertos.
Sounds like a nice spicy dish to warm up a cold winter’s day.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for describing the specific ingredients as I had just highlighted them to google them. I love to learn about this kind of food and everything I have eaten at any Rick Bayless inspired restaurant when in CA I have LOVED, yet I really hesitate to make something as traditional as this without tasting it first. I have a good friend who just married a Mexican woman who is lovely – yet, she tells me – and I am sure it is true – that every 20 miles or so in Mexico, the food changes. I will ask her if she is familiar with this dish – send her your recipe – and I might get lucky!
Happy New Year to you!
🙂
Valerie!
🙂
This looks delish ~ Thought of you while my Mom made our pozole 😉 ~ Happy new year!
hooray for rick bayless, and hooray for posole! as far as i know, i don’t like hominy in any other form. and is there any other acceptable portion than a hefty portion? i say no. 🙂
It sounds heavenly. Have a wonderful new year!
What a nice post. I learned a few things and I’m hungrier than before 🙂
Happy New Year!
This is absolutely marvelous.- I am a lover of POZOLE. period. What wonderful wonderful flavors here – very unique too as a verde.
Promise me you’ll be gentle when I make mine and you’ll go ‘tsk-tsk’ 🙂
Wishing you a most glorious New Year, Darling Bonnie!
Chow! Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
I am pretty sure that there is a bowl (or 12) of pozole in my family’s future. Great idea sweetlife. Thanks for sharing.
Very informative! Never tried Pozole Verde before.
Happy New Year to you and your family. Have a good one!
I will never forget the day I met my friend Connie and other girlfriends and we had posole made by her mother and aunt. I fell in love with it! Did not know it came either red or green. I would love to have it again! Better take advantage of the few days of cold in Texas to make it! 🙂
Happy Holidays!
I have never had Pozole Verde, probably because I don’t eat meat, ha ha…But my boys would love this…Beautiful, and love all of those fresh herbs 🙂
I am pretty sure I already said this but, wishing you and your family a most wonderful New Year
Anything from Rick Bayless is delicious in my opinion, and that’s one of my favorite books. I love pozole in all its variations and yours sounds amazing. Epazote is a wonderful herb and i agree it really changes character between fresh and dried.
Mmmmm…it sounds yummy, and all those delicious ingredients, must be very good. Missing Chuls little recipes. 😀 Happy new year to you and your family.
I’ve never had this soup – and I’m a soup-o-holic! Shame on me! This look so warm and inviting. Bookmarked for the winter. I wish you all good things in 2011!
just beautiful, love your authenticity of the recipe and know it yours tasted better than Ricks…. have a great remaining weekend and best wishes to your family
What a delicious soup. Hope you are having a great holiday season!
Beautiful soup! I need a steamy bowl to ward off the snow and cold! Happy New Year!
Wow, your soup is making my mouth water! I’ve never even had Pozole Verde, but it’s now on my list of things to make soon.
Happy New Year!
Kelly
Given how dreamy I find Rick Bayless’s food and how much I love Mexican in general, I’m sure I would adore this pozole! Sounds like a fun food tradition. (I am totally jealous of your 70 degree weather, by the way. Want to trade? I’ve got some huge snowdrifts that I’m sick of.)
I tried this once few months ago in the restaurant in the city. I love this recipe. It sounds so flavourful and comforting. I will need to try this 🙂
What an interesting dish! I’ve never heard of it before! 😮 Happy New year to you! 😀
Hey lovely,
man this looks too good right now! Makes me hungry @ 1:45AM in the morning. Must resist myself from eating though – or else the calories will add up. yikes!
Have a lovely day up ahead.
jen @ http://www.passion4food.ca
I’m not familiar with this soup Bonnie. I’ll have to give it a go!
It cures whatever that ails ya. Plus, it tastes so good. Nothing beats a big pot of posole simmering on the stove.
Oh, thank you for posting this recipe. This is what I shall make on New Year’s Day. Perfect. And we are huge fans for Mr. Bayless. I’ve made pozole before, but not with pumpkin seeds…and I adore that unique aroma of epazote…
I would like to wish you and your entire family a fabulous new year!
Here’s to a delicious 2011 and continued success with your terrific blog Bonnie!
LL
@ Lori..thanks lori for your support and love, please give it a try and let me know!
sweetlife
lovely soup and I want links to your hibiscus recipes pretty please 🙂
love ya sorry I haven’t been in a while get swamped reading blogs
Happy New Year
Rebecca
@Rebecca oh please don’t worry I find myself with less time around the holidays..I will send ya links!
sweetlife
I love Pozole, and it has been quite cold here lately, so a big bowl of this right now sounds pretty good! It’s supposed to warm up to 63 this weekend—I think we will break out the chips and salsa with weather that feels like summer!
Hey Bonnie, your’e fast on the posts lately (smile)!
This pozole verde looks so delicious, Bonnie. I really crave stuff like this during these cold months. Plus, there is something about a warm chicken soup with hominy that just sounds awesome! The pork being in their is very Mexican too, no?! Anyway, it looks really authentic and delicious. I might would even sneak a bowl and then claim later that I didn’t know it had meat in it;-)
I have never tried pozole…can you believe that sadness? Hearing you talk about this made me wish I could try a bowl right now. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Ryan and I might just have to get into the kitchen and experiment!
That does look yum. I wanna try it both ways now. Appreciate your detail on the herbage too. Since its rainy and cold here in Houston today, this looks like the ticket.
Cheers! Scott & Michelle
You make this sound so good.
I will need to keep these herbs in mind so I can buy some and make this – I’d love to have a big batch around.
I hope you’re enjoying the holidays with your family. It’s been nice relaxing the last few days after the cooking and eating frenzy!
A delightful soup! Very pleasant.
Happy New Year!
Cheers,
Rosa