Here on Cape Cod the marsh grasses along with the turning leaves steal the Fall color show. We probably won’t get a frost until November since we stick out into the ocean, but we can certainly feel the change in the air. Time to wrap up all of our outdoor planting projects, stack some more wood and pickle the rest of our hot pepper crop. This is when comfort foods start showing up to our weekly menu and sweaters get put on.

As food prices soar, we also look for ingredients we can use as building blocks for multi meal production. A slow roasted whole chicken, along with the mire poix, leeks and garlic we used to stuff and surround the bird, goes into a large pot after dinner to produce a delicious richly flavored stock. Today we turned that stock into the base for a traditional Mexican stew called Pozole.

Pozole originated with the Aztecs and other indigenous tribes in Mesoamerica, dating back to the 16th century. There are three main types — Blanco, Rojo and Verde. The three different types of soup/stews have several vital ingredients common to all. Hominy and a protein (usually pork, chicken, or goat). Blanco is made with pureed hominy, Rojo has a variety of assorted red chilies, and Verde uses tomatillo, epazote, cilantro, jalapeño and pepitas.

Today we made Rojo Pozole. We started by toasting three types of chilies. Dried ancho and cascabels plus Poblano, approximately 5 ounces total. We placed them in a bowl, added boiling water to cover, and allowed them to soften for about 20 minutes before removing all the seeds and their stem. Then into our Vitamix blender along with eight large cloves of peeled garlic, one sweet diced onion, cumin powder, paprika, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and several ounces of roasted chicken stock to make a fairly thick paste. We cut up 3 lbs. of boneless pork shoulder into 1-inch cubes. Note: many old recipes call for a pig’s head. We diced one additional onion and reserved it to deglaze the pan after the pork was browned evenly in a large heavy-duty pot. Then the pureed chili mix was added to the browned pork and caramelized onions. We added the remaining chicken stock to barely cover the sauteed meat and vegetables then stirred well to combine all the flavors.

The mixture was brought to a boil and quickly reduced to a simmer. At this point, four cans of hominy were rinsed and added to the mixture along with two fresh (or dried) bay leaves. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking on the bottom of the pot. Continue cooking for about three hours or till the pork in fork tender. Adjust the seasonings as needed. This can also be finished covered in the oven at 300° degrees or in a slow cooker and can be made a day ahead.

To serve, you will need to have all the essential add-on garnishes.

Fresh cilantro, diced avocado, diced white onion, sliced shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, large lime wedges to squeeze over everything and traditional tortilla chips. This incredible meal is worth every minute of prep time and love. It is truly a meal to soothe your soul.

My query to you all; what is your go to soup or stew as the leaves turn and temperatures fall? Stay warm. Cheers! Live well always.

Something to soothe your soul

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