Posole Rojo (Red Pork and Hominy Soup)

This is a delicious soup or stew (or should we say stoup like Rachel Ray) that I got out of my Food Network magazine. I had been looking for a good Posole recipe for a while. Jim's mom used to make him Menudo alot when he was growing up. She made it for us one year for Christmas Breakfast and after I saw what was in it, I couldn't eat it...(it has pigs feet and tripe in it). But Posole is a similar soup only made with a pork roast and hominy. I can handle that. This recipe even teaches you how to make your own chili sauce! Yum!! You can find quite the assortment of dried chillies in the Mexican food section of most grocery stores. It was easy!! (Although, be careful when rinsing the sieve out after you have made the sauce... I had a mist going and I think I invented my own 'pepper spray'... I couldn't quit choking!!) This soup was YUMMO!! it reminded me of those Hawaiian Chicken haystacks, where there is a basic dish and then everyone adds their desired toppings and makes it a meal! We especially liked putting some of the extra chili sauce, diced onion, and fresh cilantro on ours. Enjoy!

Posole Rojo
Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine
Serves:6 to 8 servings.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup dried chiles de arbol
4 or 5 dried ancho chiles
6 cloves garlic (2 smashed, 4 finely chopped)
Kosher salt
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut in half  (mine was about a 3 pound roast)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large white onion, chopped
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 bay leaf
3 15-ounce cans white hominy, drained and rinsed

For toppings:
Diced avocado, grated Cheese, Sour cream,  shredded cabbage, diced onion, fresh chopped cilantro, and /or tortilla chips

Directions:
Break the stems off the chiles de arbol and ancho chiles and shake out as many seeds as possible. Put the chiles in a bowl and cover with boiling water; weigh down the chiles with a plate to keep them submerged and soak until soft, about 30 minutes. Transfer the chiles and 1 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid to a blender. Add the smashed garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pushing the sauce through with a rubber spatula; discard the solids.

Rub the pork all over with the cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt; set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and cook 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high. Push the onion and garlic to one side of the pot; add the pork to the other side and sear, turning, until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Stir in 2 cups water, the chicken broth, oregano, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of the chile sauce (depending on your taste). Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Partially cover and cook, turning the pork a few times, until tender, about 3 hours.

Stir in the hominy and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the pork starts falling apart, about 1 more hour. Remove the bay leaf. Transfer the pork to a cutting board; roughly chop and return to the pot. Add some water or broth if the posole is too thick. Season with salt. Serve with assorted toppings and the remaining chile sauce.