Pre-Christmas Cooking – Good & Easy Posole

Ok – you have all this “stuff” to do tomorrow ( Saturday ) – You don’t have to go to “crap in a box” or “booger queen” – you can have a great meal waiting when you finally stagger home tomorrow night . . .

This is a neat one – you can adapt to you and your family’s taste – add more garlic – add cumin – more cayenne / less cayenne – without a lot of effort it can become a “signature” dish for you – and nobody will believe just how easy it is . . .

Merry Christmas

First the Stuff –

2 – 3 lbs of pork loin – cut into 1 inch cubes

2 15 oz cans of hominy – white or yellow – drained

2 28oz cans of red enchilada sauce ( use red until you do it a few times – then change it up with a can of green and a can of red – or 2 cans of green! )

1 4 1/2 oz can of diced green chilies

one can of rotel style tomatoes

2 medium onions – diced ( or one big one )

1 to 2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon dried oregano ( try the recipe first before adding more )

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons or so cayenne pepper

1 plus teaspoon salt

1 plus tablespoon smoked paprika ( yes there is a difference )

1 teaspoon or so of black pepper

oil for browning the pork

1 to 2 cups of water

large oval style crock pot

Are you ready??

Get a skillet nice and hot – add oil – do the pork in batches if you have to so the skillet doesn’t cool down – before tossing the pork in the skillet sprinkle with salt – black pepper – and paprika

Start draining the hominy and start opening cans

Add the enchilada sauce – drained hominy – onions – un-drained green chilies – rotel style tomatoes – minced garlic – cayenne – dried oregano – 1 tablespoon smoked paprika – and of course the pork as it browns . . .

When it is all in the crock pot – give it a stir – add enough water so it is floaty – now that is a real technical term! – remember it is a soup not a casserole – start with the crock pot on high – cook for 6 to 7 hours ( or bring it up to temperature on high – then low for 8 to 10 hours )

Last but not least 1/2 hr before serving stir in the chopped cilantro and a 1/2 teaspoon or so of salt . . .

You can serve it with cornbread ( hint : make it the night before ) / chips and salsa / just chips – remember you are trying to make it a really good and simple – something different meal – the crock pot is going to do the largest portion of the work – keep it simple . . .

Have Fun! – Run the Gun! – and remember – Fish Heads are Cheap!!