Green Chile Posole

I just recently tried making posole with green chiles instead of red chile sauce.

I guess I'm just a green chile kind of girl, because I really liked it!

My family may even like the green chile posole better than the red.

Serve the soup plain, with meat and hominy, and let each person add the toppings themselves.

Cabbage, cilantro, green onion, jalapeños, lemon, and radishes are the usual accompaniments. 

I forgot to buy the radishes, that's why you see a bit of tomato.

Here's what you'll need:

2 lbs. pork butt

2 lbs. chicken thighs

1/2 onion

1 carrot

1 stalk celery

2 cloves garlic

28 oz. can diced green chiles

1 1/2 lbs. fresh tomatillos

2 28 oz. cans white hominy

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

toppings:

thinly sliced cabbage

thinly sliced green onions

cilantro leaves

lemon or lime wedges

sliced radishes

chopped jalapeño

I bought this pork butt from my local Mexican market.

The butcher was really friendly and helped me pick a good cut of meat.

I haven't seen this cut of pork butt at Vons.

I like to use a mix of pork and chicken for posole.

I learned how to make posole from my friend Sue Godinez.

She makes a delicious pot of posole for her annual New Year's Eve party, along with her German Chocolate cake.

Before I added the chicken thighs to the pot, I trimmed them up a little, removing the skin and some fat.

You can use them as is for a richer broth.

Put the pork and chicken into a large pot and cover with water.

Bring to boil, skim the foam, and lower the heat to simmer.

Add the garlic and onions.

The whole carrot and celery too.

You don't need to chop them, you're going to be fishing them out later.

Add 1 teaspoon each--cumin and dried oregano.

Drain and rinse a 28 oz. can of diced green chiles and add them to the pot.

I used about a pound-and-a-half of fresh tomatillos.

Peel the outer husk away from the fruit, then core, wash and dice.

Tomatillos are often referred to as green tomatoes.

Dice them and add them to the pot.

The tomatillos can also be pureed before adding.

Take the chicken out after one hour, simmer the pork for another hour or until tender.

Remove the carrot and celery.

The meat will be tender, and it will be easy to separate the meat from the fat.

Shred the meats into bite-sized pieces and return to the pot.

If you are making the posole ahead of time, you can cool and refrigerate from this point.

I like to make the posole a day ahead to remove the fat that gathers on the surface and is easy to remove.

Reheat after skimming, adding the drained and rinsed hominy.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Serve with the toppings on the side.

The condiments add a great freshness and crunch to the soup.

Some spanish rice and toasted corn tortillas round out the meal.

 ¡Buen provencho!

***

Last week I had a big "The Song Remembers When" moment.

Do you know that Trisha Yearwood song?

The song is about hearing a song and it transports you back to a day and time--The Song Remembers When.

Last week on American Idol, one of the contestants sang "End of The Road" by Boyz II Men.

Listening to the song took me right back to when Sue and I took our junior high age kids to Irvine Meadows Amphitheater to see Boyz II Men.

TLC and Montell Jordan were also on the bill, but TLC had to cancel their appearance. The kids were disappointed, but they had so much fun!

I remember Sue and I didn't know what to do to keep the boys from staring at the couple vigorously making-out in the seats right in front of us!

It made me think of that time in our lives, picking up the neighborhood kids in my white Astro van for school, and how Cosmo used to check his hair in his reflection every morning as I'd drop them off at the back of Orangewood.

I love how music can do that, trigger memories, and transport us back to a time and place.



Trisha Yearwood, The Song Remembers When.

No printable recipe for Green Chile Posole yet.