- Posole's arresting flavor comes from red or green chiles%2C pork%2C garlic%2C onions and Mexican oregano.
- Posole was a ritual meal for the Aztecs and symbol that celebrated the creation of humanity from corn.
- Posole is made with nixtamalized corn %u2014 kernels cooked in an alkaline solution until soft.
When hungry for a steaming bowl of comfort, the French have their bouillabaisse, the Russians their borscht and the Vietnamese their pho. Mexicans turn to posole.
"The flavor is rich and the heat consistent. This is a soup that gets the endorphins and adrenaline going without burning your tongue," said Jeff Cohen, former chef and director of operations at Barrio Queen in Scottsdale.
"I call posole Mexican soul food."
The soup with links to Aztec religious rituals is made from nixtamalized corn, a process in which the shucked kernels are cooked in an alkaline solution, often lime water, until they soften and puff.
Posole corn, also called maíz para posole, is different from the dried corn ground for tortillas. It's bigger and not as starchy. Authentic posole corn often can be found in Hispanic markets, but many modern-day cooks substitute hominy, another processed corn that is softer, blander and more widely available.
The soup's arresting flavors come only in part from the corn. The rest comes from red or green chiles, pork, garlic, onions and toppings including cabbage, radishes, lime, oregano, salsas and sour cream.
Every region in Mexico has its own style of posole. At Barrio Queen, cooks prefer the traditional posole from the state of Guerrero: a blend of roasted poblano chiles, green salsa, onions, sauteed garlic, bay leaf, chicken stock and seared pork butt.
"You never really know what you are going to get when you order posole because there are so many different variations," Cohen said.
Posole, pronounced poh-SOH-lay, was a ritual meal for the Aztecs and a symbol that celebrated the creation of humanity from corn.
There's a second, less appetizing link to ancient religious ceremony. In the "General History of Things from New Spain," Fray Bernardino de Sahagun mentioned that during the festivities to honor the god Xipe, the emperor was served a massive dish of "pozolli" made with the thigh of a sacrificed prisoner.
Yes, the Aztec pozolli recipe called for corn and the chopped up bodies of prisoners whose hearts had been torn out in ritual sacrifice.
After the Spanish arrived in the Americas in the 1500s, they banned cannibalism, and pork became the meat most often used in posole.
Cohen said that apparently pork was the meat of choice because "it tasted most similar to human flesh."
"Most people are not aware of the history, but I think it makes the dish even more interesting. This is a soup with quite a story."
As acclaimed chef Rick Bayless wrote in 1987 in his classic "Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico," posole remains "really something special, a beautiful one-bowl meal to serve when a crowd comes."
The soup has evolved into more than a holiday meal. It's become an everyday, hearty breakfast, lunch or dinner. Though not as popular as other Mexican flag bearers, such as tacos and and enchiladas, it's gaining ground quickly.
"We have people who eat it every day, summer or winter," Cohen said. "It's a dish that is quickly coming into its own."
Details: 7114 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale. 480-656-4197, barrioqueen.com.
Posole Rojo
Servings: 8.
12 to 15 dried red chile pods
Hot water (to cover chiles)
2 medium white onions, roughly chopped
10 to 12 garlic cloves, roughly minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, including stems, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon adobo seasoning (a Mexican spice blend; may substitute additional cumin)
3 pounds boneless pork loin
2 tablespoons olive or corn oil
2 cans (about 15 ounces each) chicken broth
1 can (about 15 ounces) hominy, drained and rinsed in fresh water
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Break off and discard stems of chiles, shaking out as many seeds as possible. Combine chiles in a bowl with enough hot water to cover. Soak 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove chiles, reserving soaking liquid.
Put chiles in blender with onions, garlic, cilantro and 1 to 2 teaspoons salt. Puree mixture, adding reserved soaking liquid as needed to make a smooth puree. Add cumin, oregano and adobo seasoning and briefly puree again.
Season all sides of the pork roast generously with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven over medium-high, heat oil and brown all sides of the roast, using tongs to turn. Add 1 can chicken broth, stirring to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. (For even hotter sauce, use the chile-soaking liquid instead of chicken broth.) Pour sauce from blender over pork, and add enough of the second can of chicken broth to nearly cover roast. Cover pot, place in oven and reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
Turn roast once or twice. Remove pot after 21/2 to 3 hours. (Roast can be prepared to this point 1 to 2 days in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.)
Add hominy, adjust consistency with more chicken broth if necessary, and heat in oven for an additional 30 minutes.
Remove roast to plate. Meat should be tender enough to shred. Pour sauce and hominy around roast. Top with fresh cilantro if desired.
Approximate values per serving: 406 calories, 22 g fat, 85 mg cholesterol, 34 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 988 mg sodium, 49 percent calories from fat.
From The Arizona Republic
Preparing the corn
Canned and dried hominy are available, but for the best flavor buy authentic posole corn at a Hispanic market and follow these preparation steps:
- Cover dried corn with water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse well.
- Bring 2 quarts water to a boil for every pound of corn. Stir in 1 tablespoon calcium hydroxide, also called slaked lime.
- Add the corn and adjust heat to maintain a simmer. Expect the corn to turn bright yellow. Cook 15 minutes, then cover and set aside for 1 hour.
- Drain and rinse kernels repeatedly, rubbing the corn between your fingers to remove the papery outer skin. Rinse until the corn is white again and no longer feels slippery.
- This step is time consuming, but it allows the corn to open like a flower: Pinch off the tough, dark germ at the base of each kernel.
