There are many variations of pozole, a traditional hominy-based Mexican stew closely associated with the Pacific-coast state of Guerrero. Culinary writer and cookbook author Anya von Bremzen's version, a green pozole, derives much of its flavor from tangy ingredients like tomatillos, cilantro, and green chiles.
Ingreadients:
- 7 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
- 2 cups water
- 4 chicken breast halves on the bone, with skin
- 1 pound tomatillos, husked and halved
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 2 poblano chiles, cored, seeded, and quartered
- 2 jalapeños, seeded and quartered
- 4 large garlic cloves, smashed
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon oregano leaves
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 (15-ounce) cans of hominy, drained
- Finely shredded iceberg lettuce, for serving
- Sliced radishes, for serving
- Chopped onion, for serving
- Diced avocado, for serving
- Sour cream, for serving
- Tortilla chips, for serving
- Lime wedges, for serving
Direction
- Gather the ingredients.
- In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, bring the chicken stock and water to a boil.
- Add the chicken breasts skin side down, cover, and simmer over very low heat until they're tender and cooked through, about 25 minutes.
- Skim and discard any fat from the cooking liquid and set the liquid aside.
- Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate and, once cool enough to handle, shred the meat; discard the bones and skin.
- In a blender, combine the halved tomatillos with the quartered onion, poblanos and jalapeños, smashed garlic, chopped cilantro, and oregano. Pulse until coarsely chopped, scraping down the sides.
- With the machine on, add 1 cup of the cooking liquid and puree until smooth. Season the tomatillo puree with salt and pepper.
- In a large, deep skillet, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the tomatillo puree and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce turns a deep green, about 12 minutes.
- Pour the green sauce into the cooking liquid in the casserole. Add the hominy and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Add the shredded chicken to the stew, season with salt and pepper, and cook just until heated through.
- Serve the pozole in deep bowls, passing the lettuce, radishes, onion, avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips, and lime wedges at the table.