The Third Place Books close to us was having a blowout on used books a couple of weeks ago, and we picked up a copy of The Best of Cooking Light: Everyday Favorites for four bucks (I’m a sucker for cookbooks with pictures). This pork posole recipe caught my eye because it looked pretty much like a normal (aka, non-light) posole recipe. Pork is browned and then added to a stock made from chicken broth and pureed ancho chilies. This recipe is all about the condiments: a squeeze of lime and a bunch of cilantro really brings out the flavors in this soup.

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Lisa says:

We must love posole — I think we have four different recipes on the site.

Chris says:

Yep, and each one is a little different.

Lisa says:

I’m not sure about this one, you know I like the stewier ones.

Chris says:

Well, even though this one is broth-based, I think you’ll like it.

Lisa says:

Hmmm… kind of bland.

Chris says:

What? Ahhh… hit it with those garnishes. Squeeze that lime! Add those onions! Savor the cilantro!

Lisa says:

Wow, that makes a big difference… yum! It’s definitely growing on me.

Chris says:

Yeah, keep going…

Lisa says:

Awesome — I’m going back for more.

Chris says:

Mission Accomplished!

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Pork Posole
4 ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
2 cups boiling water
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into (1/2″) pieces
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2 15.5-oz cans white hominy, undrained
sliced radishes
chopped green onions
minced fresh cilantro
lime slices

Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Place chilies in pan; flatten with a spatula. Cook 10 seconds on each side or until blackened. Combine toasted chilies and 2 cups boiling water in a bowl; let stand 10 minutes or until soft. Place pepper mixture in a blender; process until smooth.

Cook cumin seeds in a large Dutch oven over medium heat for 1 minute or until toasted and fragrant. Place in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground.

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Do this in batches if you must — don’t crowd the pork or it’ll steam instead of brown. Remove pork from pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 8 minutes or until onion is browned, stirring frequently. Stir in pork, pureed chilies, toasted ground cumin, broth, sugar, salt, and hominy; bring to a simmer. Cook 30 minutes or until pork is tender. Spoon equal portions posole into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with radishes, green onions, and cilantro. Serve with lime slices.

6 Servings