Rosa’s Red Posole
Posole is a pork-based soup that’s really a cross between a soup and a stew. Apart from the pork, the main ingredient is hominy—white corn kernels that have been soaked in lye. Many Texans profess to love posole, but I’ve always found it impossibly bland. That is, until I tried Rosa’s version, which she transformed from blah to bueno with the addition of a flavor-packed red chile sauce. Rosa, a native of Mexico City, has worked at Rather Sweet since it opened almost ten years ago. A traditional Mexican concoction, posole comes in many styles, and is often prepared on feast days or to celebrate the new year, says Rosa. Sounds like a natural party food to me. I like to serve Red Posole as a main course for an informal dinner party on a cool night. Make a big batch of guacamole (page 255) and set out bowls with all of the traditional posole accompaniments—lime wedges, thinly sliced radishes, lettuce, and green onions. Serve the posole in the Dutch oven you made it in, or seize the chance to use that old-fashioned soup tureen you inherited from Great-Aunt Belle. Decorate your serving table with a Mexican-style tablecloth or a colorful runner. Bundle cloth napkins with the necessary silverware and set out a stack of deep soup bowls and small plates. Let guests serve themselves buffet style. Complete your stress-free, do-ahead dinner with a large pitcher of White Sangria (page 175) and a combination plate of Chile Crinkle Cookies (page 206) and Chubby’s White Pralines (page 68).
Recipe information
Yield
serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
Soup
Red Chile Sauce
Toppings
Preparation
Step 1
TO MAKE THE SOUP: Heat the 1 tablespoon oil for about 30 seconds in a large Dutch oven or 12-quart stockpot set over medium heat. Salt and pepper the pork butt; sear it until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the pot from the heat; slice the meat into 2- to 3-inch hunks and return it to the pot. Add the 1/2 onion, 4 cloves garlic, the 1 teaspoon salt, and the 10 cups water. Set the pot over high heat until the mixture boils; decrease the heat slightly to bring it down to a simmer. Simmer for about 1 hour, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Cover and simmer until the meat is falling-apart tender, about 1 hour more. Strain the meat from the broth, and return the broth to the pot. Skim off as much fat as possible. When the meat is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-size pieces, removing and discarding as much fat as possible, and return it to the pot.
Step 2
TO MAKE THE CHILE SAUCE: While the meat simmers, place the guajillo and chipotle chiles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Use a plate or slightly smaller bowl to weigh down the chiles, keeping them completely submerged. Once the chiles have softened, about 30 minutes for the unusually tough guajillos, remove from the soaking water. Strain the soaking water, reserving 1 cup. Puree the chiles in a blender with 1/2 cup of the reserved soaking water, the quartered onion, and 5 cloves garlic. Push the pureed chile-onion mixture through a strainer to catch any seeds or large, tough bits of chile. Drizzle the 1 tablespoon olive oil into a skillet set over medium heat. Add the strained chile mixture, the remaining 1/2 cup of chile soaking water, oregano, cumin, Tabasco, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 3
Stir the chile mixture into the soup; add the hominy and simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Taste and correct the seasonings, adding salt and pepper if necessary.
Step 4
When ready to serve, set out bowls of lime wedges, sliced radishes, lettuce, green onions, cilantro, avocado, and guacamole, allowing guests to choose their own toppings.
do it early
Step 5
The soup can be made 2 days ahead, covered, and refrigerated until ready to serve. It can be frozen for up to 3 weeks before serving.
tip
Step 6
Pork butt can be fatty, which makes it flavorful, but it also can lead to greasy soup. One of the easiest ways to remove the fat is to refrigerate the soup overnight. The fat will rise to the top and harden, making it easy to spoon off without sacrificing any of the flavorful broth. If you don’t have time to refrigerate the soup, there’s another way: After the straining the cooked meat from the broth, let the broth settle for about 5 minutes without stirring. The fat will rise to the top. Set a single sheet of paper towel lightly on top and let it soak up the fat. Discard the towel and if the broth harbors more fat, repeat.
