This recipe is Gina’s family’s favorite dish. They make a huge pot of it and eat it over many days. It is a great meal to have when the entire familia get together for the day. It feeds a lot, and fairly inexpensively. Our family is half Mexican, so when Gina married into the Zárate family it meant she would learn to cook a number of popular Mexican dishes. This soup originates in Mexico and dates back to Emporer Moctezuma’s days (except the meat in Moctezuma’s dish had the thigh of a sacrificed prisoner). Posole tastes and looks a little different in each of the different Mexican regions. Gina’s version is authentic to our family who originate in Jalisco. Their posole is prepared with pork and dried poblano peppers. This is a truly authentic soup that freezes very well. You just do the garnishes (lime, cabbage, cilantro and onion) fresh each time you have it for a meal.
Makes 12 Servings
2 pounds boneless pork loin, cubed
3 pieces of chicken cut up with bone in (optional)
1 4oz can diced green chilis
1 teaspoon salt
2 (15 ounce) cans white hominy, drained (or fresh hominy, but more time and work)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chili powder
Place meat in a large kettle and add about 5 quarts of water or enough to cover meat. (Can replace some water with chicken broth) Add salt and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat for about 1 1/2 hours.
Discard any floating fat and grease.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 1/2 hour.
