Murph's Posole

Posole is our traditional Christmas Day dish and we enjoy it throughout the year.  It is fabulous left over so this version makes a generous amount.  Posole's pleasing aroma will fill the house and guests usually affirm their approval with a chorus of "...hmmm something smells really good."

Murph’s Posole

3-4 Pound Pork Shoulder, cubed

3 Medium Brown Onions, chopped

4 Cloves Minced Crushed

2 Large Cans Hominy

1 Large Can Whole Green Chili’s

32 oz. Chicken Broth

8-10 Cups Water

3 Jalapeños, chopped

3 T Cumin

3 T Red Chili Powder

Salt and Pepper

2 Bay Leaves

1 T Oregano

3 T Olive Oil

For Garnish

Make your garnish items just prior to serving!

Shredded Cabbage

Radishes, Thinly Sliced

Chopped Sweet Onion
Avocado, roughly chopped

Cilantro, Chopped

Jalapeño Rings

Crushed Tortilla Chips

Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend

Limes Wedges

Remove Exterior Fat from pork shoulder and cut into bite size cubes.  It is a good idea to have a sharp knife to remove bits of fat from the pork as you trim it away from the bone. Don’t obsess, but well trimmed pork is never be chewy or fatty.

Heat 1 Tablespoon of  Olive Oil in your large Iron Pot. I always use a Le Creuset which is about an 8 qt.   Add trimmed pork over a medium high heat and brown lightly about 10-15 minutes.  Continually turn the meat to lightly brown all sides of all pieces.  Season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.

While the meat is browning, peel and chop onions into large chunks.  Peel and mince the garlic at this point as well.  While the meat is still cooking, seed the jalapeños and chop into smaller pieces, retaining a few seeds for flavor and heat later in the cooking process.

When all the meat is lightly browned, add a tablespoon of cumin and a tablespoon of red chili powder, covering the meat fully and cook for 2 minutes longer to infuse the flavors that will jump out later!

Remove meat and juices from pot and set aside in a large mixing bowl.

Add 2 tablespoons of oil to pot and add onions and season liberally with salt and pepper.  Sauté 4-5 minutes and add garlic and 2 chopped jalapeños.  Stir continually for 3-5 minutes.  Once onions begin to brown add 2 T cumin and 2 T red chili powder. The aroma may knock you over but this is the essence of great Posole!  Coat thoroughly and stir constantly for 2-3 more minutes.

Add pork along with the juices, chicken broth and turn heat to medium high.  Add drained Hominy and half the water and bring to a boil. The remainder of the water may be added throughout the cooking process as needed.

While waiting for pot to boil, open green chili’s and pour half the juice from can into the stock.  Chop whole chilis into larger chunks and add to the boiling stock.  Add Oregano and bay leaves and fill pot to 1 ½ inches from top with remaining water and bring to a good boil for 10 minutes. 

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours.  Add as many of the remaining green chili’s to the stew as you would like based on your desired consistency and heat profile.  Murph and the family like it hot but guests often can’t handle our heat so retain some jalapeno rings for garnishing later on.

This dish requires frequent stirring and needs to be sampled about an hour prior to serving for seasoning and heat.  You can always kick it up a notch with a little more red chili powder or a few seeds from the jalapenos. 

Once the pork is tender and the stew is bursting with flavor serve with shredded cabbage, chopped fresh radishes, chopped cilantro, quartered limes and chopped avocados. Murph’s crew likes a little shredded cheese on the side along with crispy corn tortillas crumbled over the top and fresh, warm flour tortillas for dipping are great additions as well.  

Enjoy!