Classic Posole + The Cafe at The Heard Museum

My sister and I had delicious Posole at The Cafe at The Heard Museum where my sister works in fundraising.  I’ve been wanting to make it and she finally asked the chef, Irene Rutigliano for the recipe.  Turns out it was in Bon Appetit in January of 2012.  Then last weekend my husband emailed me a few links of recipes we should try….and this exact recipe was one of them.  It’s a sign…  So with this ridiculously cold weather we’ve been having, I knew this was the perfect time to make it.  Recipes that call for roasting the meat 5 to 6 hours generally rules out most nights when I decide on dinner at about 5 pm and still need a trip to the grocery store.  So aside from a wee bit of planning ahead that the recipe requires….this soup is perfect.  Especially on a cold winter night.  I served it with warm tortillas and a green salad.  See all the way at the bottom for the recipe or go here.

Classic Posole Recipe – The Cafe at The Heard Museum

By Irene Rutigliano, Bon Appetit January 2012

For the Meat-

1 T ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 2-pound boneless pork shoulder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 red onion, sliced

Preheat oven to 275º. Line a small roasting pan (I used a Le Creuset dutch oven) with foil.  Mix the cumin, garlic, and smoked paprika and rub the spice mixture over the pork.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place pork in the pan and cover with sliced red onion.  Add 1/2 cup water to the bottom of the pan.  Cover with foil and then with lid and roast meat until very tender, about 5 to 6 hours.  Let pork rest and when cool enough to handle, but while still warm, shred the meat with two forks.  This part can be made up to two days ahead.

For the Soup-

1.4 c vegetable oil

1/2 red onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 plum tomatoes, diced

6 cups low-salt chicken broth

1 28-ounce can pinto beans, undrained

1 28-ounce can white hominy, drained

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices, pureed in a blender until smooth

1 T oregano (preferably Mexican)

2 tsp ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Shredded white cheddar

Chopped fresh cilantro

Lime wedges

Flour tortillas

For the soup:  Heat oil over medium-low heat.  Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for two more minutes, stirring often.  Add the diced fresh tomatoes and stir until softened.  Stir in broth, pinto beans, hominy, tomatoes, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.  Cover, simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Add the reserved shredded pork to the posole.  Simmer uncovered for an additional 30 minutes.  Serve in bowls garnished with shredded cheddar, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and fresh tortillas.