Posole Rojo recipe by Nino’s Elton Hyndman

Posole Rojo courtesy of Elton Hyndman of Nino’s Italian

Ingredients:
1 large head garlic
12 cups water
4 cups chicken broth
4 pounds pork ribs
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
2 ounces dried New Mexico red chiles
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 large white onion
3 teaspoons salt
two 30-ounce cans white hominy
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

Accompaniments:
diced avocado
thinly sliced iceberg or romaine lettuce
chopped white onion
diced radishes
lime wedges
dried oregano
dried hot red pepper flakes
tortilla chips

1. Peel the garlic cloves and reserve 2 for the chile sauce. Slice the remaining garlic.

2. In a 7- to 8-quart heavy pot, bring the water and broth just to a boil with the sliced garlic and pork. Skim the surface and add the oregano.

3. Gently simmer the pork, uncovered, until tender (about 1 1/2 hours).

4. While the pork is simmering, discard the stems from the chiles and combine the chiles in a bowl with boiling water. Soak the chiles and turn occasionally for 30 minutes.

5. Cut the onion into large pieces and puréein a blender with the chiles and soaking liquid, reserved garlic and 2 teaspoons of salt until smooth.

6. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and reserve the broth mixture. Shred the pork and discard bones.

7. Rinse and drain the hominy.

8. Return the pork to the broth mixture and add the chile sauce, hominy and remaining teaspoon of salt. Simmer the posole for 30 minutes.

9. Season with salt as needed and serve the posole with tortilla chips and bowls of accompaniments.