This recipe is provided by multi James Beard Award nominee and Food Network’s Extreme Chef Anthony Lamas and James Beard Award nominee food and travel writer Gwen Pratesi from their newest cookbook SOUTHERN HEAT.  Learn more about Chef Anthony Lamas on his Chef’s Roll profile.

This recipe is provided by multi James Beard Award nominee and Food Network’s Extreme Chef Anthony Lamas and James Beard Award nominee food and travel writer Gwen Pratesi from their newest cookbook SOUTHERN HEAT.  Learn more about Chef Anthony Lamas on his Chef’s Roll profile.

To this day, Posole is one of my favorite dishes and one of my strongest food memories. My Mama would simmer the broth for hours, and the incredible aroma would permeate the house throughout the day. I can still smell that pot of Posole cooking. Having to be patient until the next day to enjoy the dish was nearly impossible, but always worth the wait. I couldn’t sleep at nights with the smell of the herbs and spices simmering in the kitchen and thinking about the wonderful flavors of her Posole. She would tell me to go drink a glass of milk to ease the hunger pangs, just as I do today with my boys in the middle of the night, but nothing would do until I could eat Mama’s Posole.
My version of Posole was dubbed “Latin hangover food” after I served it at Lambstock (an annual industry event for chefs and others in the culinary world) in Patrick Springs, Virginia. The dish was also mentioned in a New York Times article, and I talked about it on NPR’s All Things Considered program. As with most soups and stews, it’s even better after the flavors have spent the night together and had a chance to mingle. It also freezes well.
You might be more familiar with red Posole, or Posole Rojo, another version made with dried peppers. You can use the Salsa Rojo (p. 242) as a base for making red Posole. Serve Posole topped with thinly sliced cabbage, chopped fresh onion, chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges, a little dried Mexican oregano, and warm corn tortillas. Be sure to get a little of each accompaniment in every bite—that’s where the magic is. You’ll get a little heat, crunch, and brightness from the citrus and tomatillos—it’s truly an explosion of flavors in your mouth. Even if you don’t have a hangover, it’ll cure whatever else might be ailing you.
SERVES 8 TO 10

4 large poblanos (1 pound), trimmed,
seeds and membranes removed, divided
1 pound tomatillos, peeled, divided
3 ounces garlic cloves
(approximately 24 cloves)
2 quarts organic or homemade
chicken stock, divided
2 pounds Boston butt or pork shoulder
2 to 3 tablespoons kosher salt,
plus more for seasoning the meat
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, cut into 1⁄2-inch dice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon
Posole Spice Mix (p. 242)
1 large bunch fresh cilantro, ends trimmed and tied together as a bouquet garnish
3 bay leaves
Juice of 4 limes
1 tablespoon House Seasoning Blend (p. 248)
One 25-ounce can hominy, drained (I prefer
Juanita’s Foods®)
One 14.5-ounce can peeled whole
tomatoes, drained and pulsed in a blender
or crushed with your hands

FOR SERVING

Thinly sliced red and white cabbage, chopped onion, chopped fresh cilantro, dried Mexican oregano, lime wedges, and corn tortillas (warmed and folded)

Roughly chop half of the poblanos and half of the tomatillos, then add to a high-speed blender (I use my Vitamix) with the garlic and 1 quart of the chicken stock. Pulse until the mixture is loose. Set aside. →
Chop the remaining poblanos and tomatillos into medium (1⁄2-inch) dice; set aside.
Let the pork come to room temperature, then pat dry with paper towels. Cut the pork into 21⁄2- to 3-inch pieces. Season the meat with salt and black pepper.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
Add the pork pieces and sauté until brown, turning frequently, 5 to 7 minutes. Add
the onion and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes, until it is almost translucent, scraping up
any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the reserved chopped poblanos and tomatillos and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the Posole Spice Mix and let cook
for a few seconds until aromatic.
Pour in the remaining 1 quart chicken stock and the puréed poblano mixture. Bring to a boil and then add the cilantro, bay leaves, lime juice, 2 tablespoons salt, and the House Seasoning Blend. Stir well and add the hominy and tomatoes. Lower the heat and simmer for 11⁄2 to 2 hours, until the pork is tender, skimming any foam from the top of the Posole as it cooks. Remove and discard the cilantro and bay leaves. Taste for seasonings and add the additional 1 tablespoon salt as needed.

If serving immediately, skim any fat from the surface of the Posole and ladle into individual bowls. Or refrigerate overnight, then remove the fat from the surface and warm just before serving. Place the garnishes in small bowls and serve at the table so guests can top their own Posole.

CHEF’S TIP › The flavors of this dish are light and savory with a little spice, so serve a soft Pinot Gris from France or a wine from the Rueda region of Spain, which produces crisp white wines.

CHEF’S TIP › Using enameled cookware is one of the healthiest ways to cook. While there are a number of manufacturers, Le Creuset® cookware has been some of the most prized and best loved cooking pieces by chefs and home cooks for decades. It is coveted for its ability to heat up quickly and maintain an even cooking temperature. The pieces are able to go from stovetop to oven, allowing cooks to achieve a beautiful sear on meats and poultry before being transferred to the oven and cooked on low heat for many hours. I recommend adding a few pieces to your home kitchen, in particular a Dutch oven and a braiser. They are versatile and can be used to prepare anything from soups, stews, and sauces to cooking a whole chicken in a pot.