An Inspired Cook

Posole is a New Mexican tradition that some natives serve on Christmas Eve while others serve up a bowl on New Years Eve for good luck.  I’ve always been of the opinion to just have a bowl of posole anytime around the holidays and all will be good.  It’s comforting and reminds me of my New Mexican roots.  Last year I made Blue Corn Posole with dried blue corn and red chile.  This year I’m making a Green Chile Posole with white hominy, green chiles and poblano peppers. And just for fun I am also trying out a new corn husk muffin where you line your muffin pans with strips of soaked corn husks, ladle in the batter and out comes these cute little muffins that look like they grew right out of a corn stalk.  Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and many blessings for the New Year!

I’m going to make a spice blend to season the meat.  I’ve found that if you sear the spices into the meat you will find flavor in every bite.  My spices include green chile powder, salt (I used gourmet lime sea salt and gourmet green chile sea salt), onion powder, garlic powder, white pepper, Mexican oregano, Epazote, and dried cilantro.

Measure the spices and mix together.

I picked up a 1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin for this posole but any pork roast will do.  Cut them into bite size chunks.

Sprinkle a tablespoon of the spice blend and mix well.

The other ingredients include chicken stock, green chile, poblano pepper, onion, garlic, hominy, Tabasco green pepper sauce, and more spice blend.

Drizzle olive oil into a heated dutch oven and add the seasoned pork.

Sear the pork.  Remove from the pot and add another drizzle of olive oil.

Add the chopped onion and saute over medium heat for 2 – 3 minutes.  Next add the garlic and continue stirring the pot.  Don’t worry if the bottom of the pot  becomes darkened and crusty.

Add the green chile, poblano and begin adding the chicken stock.  When you stir the pot scrape the bottom to loosen all the crusty flavors from the bottom of the pot.

Time to bring back the pork with all the juices that they sweat out.

Next add the cans of hominy and 2 tablespoons of Tabasco sauce.

I think one more tablespoon of the seasoning will make this better.

Bring it just to a boil.

Once it comes to a boil, cover with a lid, turn down the heat and let simmer for at least 2 hours.  I usually let it sit on the stove at a low simmer all day just like a slow cooker.

While the posole is simmering on the stove I’m going to make some corn muffins.  In one bowl I have the dry ingredients of cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda.  In the other bowl I have buttermilk and 2 cracked eggs.

Beat the buttermilk, eggs and 1/2 stick of melted butter together with a wire whisk.

Mix in the dry ingredients and whisk that all together.

And if you want to add anything, this is the time to do it.  I added 2 chopped roasted Hatch green chiles.  I thought about maybe adding some corn or some grated cheese too, but decided I’d just go with the green chile this time.

I saw these in “Texas The Beautiful Cookbook” and they looked so cute.  I already had the corn husks leftover from making tamales.  Take a few corn husks and soak in water for 20 minutes or so.  Then pat them dry, tear into strips and line a muffin tin with the strips.  The longer they soak the easier to work with.  Also, spray some cooking spray or butter your muffin pans before placing the strips.  I found out the hard way, forgot to prep the pans and some of the muffins stuck to the bottom.

Fill the muffins with cornmeal batter all the way.  The batter makes just enough for 12 large muffins.  Bake at 450 degrees for 13 – 15 minutes.  Test with a toothpick.

Those are going to be fun to eat with our posole!

I added a little sweetness with a drizzle of Agave Nectar, but honey would be good too!

Posole’s ready!  Add a little chopped cilantro, avocado and a spritz of lime for some added goodness.





Green Chile Posole

1 1/2 pounds Pork Tenderloin, cut into bite size chunks
1 (32 ounce) Box of Chicken Stock
3/4 cup Green Chile, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 Poblano Pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 large Onion, chopped
2 – 3 cloves Garlic, grated on a microplane grater
2 cans White Hominy
2 tablespoons Tabasco Green PepperSauce

Spice Blend
2 teaspoons Green Chile Powder
2 teaspoons Dried Cilantro
1 teaspoon Salt (I used 1/2 teaspoon Fresco Lime Sea Salt and 1/2 teaspoon Green Chile Sea Salt)
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Epizote
1/2 teaspoon White Pepper

Season the cut up pork  with 1 tablespoon of the spice blend and mix well.  Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat.  Drizzle olive oil and sear the pork for a few minutes stirring the pot to sear on all sides.  Remove the pork from the pot, drizzle olive oil and add the chopped onions into the dutch oven.  Saute onions for 2 – 3 minutes or until they become soft and translucent.  Add the grated garlic and cook an additional minute.  Add the box of stock, chiles, poblano, hominy, Tabasco sauce, and 1 tablespoon spice blend.  Stir the pot and bring to a boil.  Place the lid on the dutch oven, turn down the heat to low and let simmer at least 2 hours or up to 6 hours.

Makes 8- 10  servings

Corn Husk Muffins

1 1/2 cups Cornmeal
1/2 cup Flour
1/4 cup Butter, melted
1 1/2 cups Buttermilk
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
3 teaspoons Sugar
1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
2 Eggs
6 – 8 Corn Husks, torn into strips

Soak corn husks in water for 20 minutes.

Combine dry ingredients of cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda together in a medium bowl.  In another medium bowl whisk together buttermilk, eggs and melted butter.  Add in the dry ingredients and blend together until you have a thick batter without any lumps.

Prepare a muffin pan by spreading a pat of butter along the edges and bottom of each muffin tin cup.  Pat dry the corn husk strips and lay 3 strips across the bottom of each muffin cup, crossing them and extending them upward 2 – 4 inches.  As you line each cup, carefully spoon in the batter filling to the top of each cup.  Bake at 450 degrees for 13 – 15 minutes or until toothpick tested.

Makes 12 muffins