Easy Winter Posole

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About the Recipe: This Native American corn dish is known as a sacred stew and served at Pueblo festivals around Albuquerque, N.M. It celebrates all of life’s blessings. It will remind you of some type of chili, but the chief ingredient is posole corn or hominy.  Make it as hot as you enjoy.  Serve with cooling veggie assortment.  It will nourish your soul as well as your body.

Recipe Inspired by:  “Spirit of the Harvest” Navajo Chef Freddie Bitsoie

*Cook’s Note:  I used 12 ounces of bison apple flavored ground meat that I formed into small chunks or meatballs.  I also reduced the hot spices since my family doesn’t like it too hot, but if you want a hot chili, increase the chili powder and hot paprika as suggested in the original recipe to 2 to 3 Tablespoons. It is served in a vegetarian style or with pork at Mitsitam Native Foods Café.

Suggested Side Dish:  Slice two small zucchini lengthwise in half; then cut into slices.  Sauté in lightly greased skillet until lightly browned but still crisp.  Season with salt and pepper; stir in cooked squash or sweet potato chunks.  Sprinkle with minced green onion and sunflower kernels.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

‘A Word about Posole corn or Hominy:
Posole corn is prepared by soaking hard kernels of field corn (traditionally white, although blue is sometimes used now) in powdered lime and water–a method thought to mimic the ancient preservation of corn in limestone caves.

After several hours, when the corn kernels have swollen, the liquid is allowed to evaporate and the kernels to dry. At this point the posole kernels can either be ground into masa flour and made into tortillas, or they can be stored in whole kernel form for use later in the posole stew.

The stew often combines the corn kernels with red or green chilies, garlic, meat or game and sometimes cumin. It has an earthy flavor and a much more robust consistency. While canned hominy is sometimes used as a substitute for posole in stew, it is not authentic or traditional in New Mexico and the flavor is quite different.

December 11, 1994|JANE BUTEL | Butel is director of Jane Butel’s Southwest Cooking School in Albuquerque and author of 12 cookbooks

For More Information See:
http://articles.latimes.com/1994-12-11/travel/tr-7859_1_authentic-native-american

URL Link for Copy of Recipe – Easy Winter Posole

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