Those who know me well know that I strive to be a successful cook. I often fall short of this goal, but I strive nonetheless. And I am a firm believer that when you stumble upon a home run recipe, you share the living tar out of it. Let me clear in saying I made no part of this recipe up myself. This is all the handiwork of Williams-Sonoma and their basic cookbook, aptly entitled “The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook“. If you have an extra $25, buy it. I have found it hugely successful for my own home cooking skills.
Regardless, let me share with you now a little gem I mined from it in the Soup section. A word on soup: I don’t really like soup. I do not consider myself a soup person. The whole Seinfeld episode where they go on and on about the soup place is beyond my comprehension. Soup is an appetizer, at best, for me. There are a few exceptions, though, and this is one of them. I followed the recipe exactly, although I omitted the jalapeno because I am a spice coward. This soup is flavorful, takes about 30 minutes start to finish, takes exactly ONE pot to make, and is one of those amazing little dishes where the leftovers are better than the first bowl. So as the weather cools down for all of us this weekend, I present you with a welcomed addition to your cold weather comfort foods: Pozole
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp corn or canola oil
1 lb pork tenderloin cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 Cups Chicken Stock
1 (14.5oz ) can of diced fire roasted tomatoes, with juice
1 (15 oz) can White Hominy (this can be found with the canned veggies of any major supermarket), rinsed and drained
1 Jalapeno chile, seeded and diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Avocado slices, for garnish
Sliced green onions, for garnish
Lime wedges
How You Make It:
In a soup pot, over medium heat, heat the oil. Add and the pork and saute until lightly browned (seriously, you’re going to simmer the soup for a while so it doesn’t need to be cooked through at all.) Transfer the meat to a bowl and set aside.
Add the yellow onion to the pot and saute until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook for about 1 minute longer. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, hominy, jalapeno and sauteed pork with any juices, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the pork is fully cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with avocado slices and green onions. Serve with lime wedges and breathe in the comfort of a hearty bowl of soup on a crisp fall evening.
