I feel so guilty about this Posole

I learned a lesson. I learned not to cuss out cookbook writers that have come through for me every time I have used their recipes. Especially ones that are friends. Ok, let me start at the beginning...



I was sent Grain Mains by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough to try out some recipes. I kept wanting to make something and finally got around to picking out something to make. Everything looked new and wonderful. I picked the Posole recipe. Made with Hominy. I checked out the recipe and saw that I needed Pickling Lime. I did some research and saw I would have to order it online. I thought that hominy would be easy to find. It wasn't. I could only find it in cans. I went to a Mexican market, I went to a Brazilian market. I went to Ocean State Job lots that has a HUGE section of Bobs Red Mill. I went to Wegman's, I went to every store around that I could think of. I spent a day looking. Give me a challenge and I am like a pit bull. I won't let go. I cussed out Mark and Bruce and said to Dr. Food "Why don't they just say that you can use canned ones?" "I can't believe that they didn't suggest canned ones"



A couple of days later Dr. Food was looking at the recipe and said "It says right here in this note to use canned if you can't use the other kind" Did I feel ashamed or WHAT! I had maligned these dear guys names. I even made up a song about them.

"Oh Bruce and Mark how could you be so cruel? I can't find the goddamn hominy gruel. My life has become like a bad dream. I need to find this grain.

Hominy...hominy where can I find you?
Hominy...hominy I want to stew you.
Hominy...hominy you make me cry.
Hominy...hominy it's no lie.

Mark and Bruce you played a trick. Mark and Bruce I aint too quick"




Ok, so my song wasn't too good but man o man was this Posole GOOD!




So last week or the week before (my memory aint what it used to be) we made a lamb shoulder. I think it was a shoulder. I was going to post right away about it but I didn't. Now Dr. Food is gone for a while and I don't have anyone to ask what it was we made with it. I swear I know it was really good but I don't remember what IT was. I think it had some anchovy in the rub or the paste or whatever the hell it was. Lets forget this. Posole was good enough for this post.



I am working on a super secret Pumpkin recipe. It might be a pie and it might be a Chai Masala Pumpkin Pie. Ok, so I told. Shut up. I can keep a secret. Yes, I know there are other recipes out there for the same thing, but I dreamt it and was dismayed when I found out others thought of it first. Joke is on them. Theirs don't look as good as what I plan. So there!



Oh yeah, and MY pie is made from HEIRLOOM pumpkin and Masala. Har har har.



Honest-to-Goodness Posole Verde
from Grain Mains by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

NOTE: I am giving recipe for canned hominy version but the book also gives directions for soaking your dried hominy in food grade pickling lime. As god is my witness I am going to do this but for now I used canned and thus that is what I am putting down here.



3C canned homimy, drained and rinsed
3 Tbl olive oil
2 1/4lb bone-in pork stew meat or bone-in pork shoulder, cut into 3" to 4" chunks
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Poblano chiles, seeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2lb fresh tomatillos, husked and chopped
4C fat free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
Up to 1/2C minced fresh cilantro
1 Tbl minced fresh oregano leaves or 2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
Juice of 1 lime

1.Set pot over medium heat. Add the oil, then the meat. Brown the meat on all sides, taking care to turn the pieces with long-handled tongs so as to not break them up or tear them too much. It'll take 8 to 10 minutes to get the meat well browned on all sides. Transfer the pieces to a large plate.

2. Add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring often, until softened somewhat, about 4 minutes. Add the chiles and garlic; stir over the heat about 1 minute--then dump in all of the tomatillos. Continue stirring over the heat until they soften and begin to break down, about 8 minutes

3.Pour in the broth. Stir in the drained hominy and the browned meat, as well as any accumulated juices on that plate, plus the cilantro, oregano, cumin, and salt. Bring to full simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly until the meat is falling off the bone, up to 3 hours.

4. Fish the meat out of the pot with slotted spoon. Cool for a few minutes, then remove the bones and chop up the remaining meat. Stir this back into the pot with the lime juice/ As the pot comes back up to a good simmer just before you ladle it up. check to see if it needs additional salt.