3 lb Pork shoulder
-(or shoulder chops),
-with bones in
29 oz White hominy (one
-can), with packing juice
6 Garlic cloves
2 tb Chili powder
-(or more to taste)
2 ts Salt
Put the pork shoulder piece(s) in a large kettle.
Don't bother to cut them up. Cover with cold water,
about 10 cups. Slowly bring to a simmer, uncovered.
As it simmers for the first 10 minutes or so, skim off
any scum that rises to the surface. (It will stop
appearing after this.)
Simmer, partially covered, for at least two hours.
Don't let too much water boil away; just leave the lid
a bit ajar so a small amount of steam can escape.
Remove from heat. Remove the pork pieces from the
broth and cut the meat from the bones. Discard the
bones. Cut the meat in medium chunks (whatever size is
appropriate for stew) and return it to the broth.
Crush or mince the garlic. Add the hominy with its
juice, garlic, chili powder and salt to the pork and
broth. Adjust the chili powder to your taste. The
estimate here is for a mild store-bought unblended
spice and will produce a mild pozole. If you grind
your own chiles, they may be hotter. If you use a
blend of chili powder and other spices (which is not
recommended), you will probably want to reduce the
salt. Remember that chili powder becomes mellowed and
less spicy as it cooks.
Return to heat and simmer (partially covered as
before) for another two hours. By this time, some of
the meat will still be in chunks, and some will be
shredded. Skim the grease from the top; there may be
quite a bit. Check for salt before serving. (Don't try
to add anything else at the end; chili powder and
garlic need time to cook.)
I serve this with corn tortillas, wrapped in foil and
warmed in the oven for ten or fifteen minutes.
NOTES:
* A simple New Mexican holiday stew -- This stew is
from New Mexico. It is traditionally served on
special days, such as Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve.
* An alternate way of cooking the stew is to simmer
the pork for at least one hour, remove the bones and
add the other ingredients as described above, and cook
covered in a slow oven (275 (135 ) for several hours.
