Pozole

NOTE: I updated this a bit - see details in the Pozole Revisit post.
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Pozole is a stew made from hominy corn (aka pozole or posole), and pork in a base of red chile sauce, and there are a million recipes out there.  Here's one more :-)

To a large soup pot, add:
- one recipe of Julie's Red Chile Sauce
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 4* cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 lbs lean pork**, in 1/2 inch cubes
- 12 oz dried posole corn+++, soaked overnight and rinsed,
   or
   25 oz can*** hominy corn, rinsed and drained
- water to cover
- salt to taste

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 2 hours (+/-), stirring occasionally.  I like it best after it has simmered all afternoon with the lid off (Rick likes it a bit soupier).

Last Christmas eve, I followed tradition, and made this - I left it on the stove while we went out to view the lights, and had dinner waiting when we got back!

* you can also use chicken, or a combination
** I have been adding more and more garlic! And I like it very coarsely chopped.
*** I (originally) tried this with dried hominy, and didn't notice a significant difference. The directions I used said to boil, rinse, repeat *several* times, which was extremely time consuming and wasteful. After the water ran clear, the corn had to be cooked 2 hrs, until it "popped" - all that was not worth the slight difference (a bit chewier) to me.  Another approach I have seen that I have not yet tried is to soak the dried hominy overnight, then rinse and cook till it pops. I will probably try that. Apparently, frozen pozole is also available, but I haven't looked too hard for it.
+++ UPDATE: I have since tried a new process with dried hominy, and am now firmly in that camp :-)

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This dish is available all *over* New Mexico. In California, it is often a special at Mom and Pop Mexican restaurants.
Usual garnishes include minced onion, chopped cabbage, lime wedges, sliced Jalapeños, avocado, sour cream, fresh cilantro, and tortillas.