Hass is of German decent and I am of French-German decent. Our Great Dane Onyx is of German decent. My truck is American. Hass’ truck is Japanese. We call our home the Hassienda which sounds Spanish, but it’s actually an American Craftsman architectural style. Our friends are Polish, Scottish, Irish, Mexican, African, English, and Cuban.

Our dinner …was Mexican.

I love a wide variety of things, people, and places. I have tremendous respect and appreciation for our differences. I think the melting pot is the coolest concept ever.

The best neighbors I ever had were Mexican; Minerva, Leo and their children. I loved to be around their family. When they moved in they walked over to our home together to introduce their family. It wasn’t a causal meeting or wave from afar, at some point in time down the road. It was the very day they moved in and I felt instant friendship and respect. I learned that everything they did, they did together as a family, and a HUGE family it was. Boy, could they throw a PARTY!

One afternoon, shortly after they moved in, I took over a large casserole for dinner. They reciprocated the very next week, not only by returning my casserole dish, but by filling it with the most incredible Mexican cornbread, and a HUGE pot of the most scrumptious, most delicious, pork stew I had ever tasted. The flavor was outrageously phenomenal. It was overflowing with the most tender pork, freshest cilantro, crisp onions and hominy. Liquid gold. Authentic. It was seriously utopia in a pot. If you can really taste love, I guarantee you could taste it in that pot. It was the best Mexican dish I had ever tasted and to this day, still is.  It was my introduction to Posole.

We had the very best time throughout the years Leo’s family was our neighbors, trading the family food pot back and forth with authentic dishes; theirs Mexican and Spanish and mine traditional Southern Comfort.

I decided to make this meal for Hass, although it will never be quite as good or authentic as the pot brought over from our neighbors who had years of family tradition and history in making this dish. Over dinner we talked about Leo and Minerva and their family.  That night, dinner was a meal stuffed with memories, stuffed with friendship and in the end, we were both stuffed with Posole.

** I want to send out a special thank you to my amazing friend, Denise, for sharing her family recipe to jump start my version of this truly delicious meal. Also, thank you for sending the authentic chili peppers. Thank you D…you ROCK! I hope this version does your recipe justice 😉 **

Posole (Pozole)

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds pork – Slow cooked in the crock pot and cut into bite sized pieces (I used a shoulder)
• 2 Cans Hominy, rinsed
• 4 oz. Chili Pods, seeds & stems removed – Lightly roasted with olive oil until softened and PUREED (If the puree is thick, it can be thinned with some of the stock or water)
• Beef Bouillon  or 8 cups Beef Stock
• 1 bunch of Cilantro, chopped – Reserve 1/4 cup for garnish
• 1 large diced Red Onion – Reserve 3 tablespoons for garnish
• 1 tbsp. Oregano
• 1 tbsp. Garlic
• 1 tbsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Additional Garnish:

• 1/4 Cup Diced Radishes
• Sliced Jalapeno
• 1 sliced Avocado
• Lime wedges
• Diced Tomatoes
• Thinly sliced Red Cabbage

 

Directions:

Bring beef stock or water and beef bouillon to a boil. Add chili puree, pork, onion and all spices and herbs. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for about 20 minutes. Add the hominy. Let cook another 15 minutes. Serve with garnishes in a tostado shell.

I like Posole. I love good friends. Bon Appetit y’all!