Posole

Sherry Stein, designer and writer extraordinaire, introduced me to posole in 1978 when my daughter Anya and I visited Sherry and her sister Char in Santa Fe, New Mexico, during my Salaminder clothing company years. On our first night at Sherry’s home, she served posole. I loved the earthy chew of hominy, the beauty of the dish itself, the camaraderie of sitting at the table and passing bowls of condiments to each other. Char and Sher was a high-fashion leather company out of Santa Fe, owned and operated by the dynamic sisters. We marketed our wholesale clothing lines together, sharing showrooms and sales reps. Each New Year, we met in Denver for the big Western Wear show. We’d book a suite at the Brown Palace Hotel, and, after a gruelingly long day selling our wares at the apparel mart, we’d sit in the Brown’s bar downing vodka, oysters, and saltimbocca, shamelessly flirting with cowboys. To this day, Sherry remains one of my closest friends.

Posole is a terrific party dish. Serve decorative bowls brimming with add-ons and watch your guests happily customize their dish. I’ve developed this recipe over the years and most often serve it the first week of the New Year. It may seem like a lot of steps and complicated, but it is actually easy, and the end result is a meal that can be prepared well in advance and requires nothing more than a salad.

Posole

Serves 8 to 10

Ribs

2 pounds bone-in country-style spare ribs
3 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
10 cloves garlic, peeled  

Soup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 white or yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon chili powder
1 jalapeño, finely minced
2 quarts chicken stock
reserved pork bones, from ribs
1 cup water
3 cups white or yellow canned hominy, rinsed and drained
½ cup canned diced green
chiles, drained

To serve

1 cup shredded cabbage
Happy Bowls, any or all* see below
Tabasco

Directions

Start ribs 1½ hours before preparing soup.

Ribs

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine oregano, cumin powder, salt, and pepper. Rub this evenly over the ribs.

2. Place rib slabs on a nonstick baking pan, tucking garlic cloves under and over them. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil, turn the ribs over, distribute the garlic,

3. re-cover, and roast for another 45 minutes. Place ribs on a cutting board, and when cool enough to handle, shred meat from the bones, reserving the bones.

Soup

1. Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add onions, garlic, all the seasonings, and the jalapeño. Sauté over medium heat until fragrant and onion has softened, about 8 minutes. Do not brown.

2. Add chicken stock, water, and reserved pork bones. Bring to a simmer and cook, slightly covered, maintaining a low simmer, for 1½ hours. Use a slotted spoon to remove bones. Add reserved pork meat, hominy, and green chiles. Heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Use a spoon to degrease the top of the soup. The soup can be prepared up to this point a day ahead and refrigerated when cooled to room temperature. Just reheat and serve hot in large bowls with cabbage and any combination of the Happy Bowl condiments you like.

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Happy Bowls

There are dishes such as chili, posole, and pulled pork that are meant to be accompanied with lots and lots of toppings. Make dinner festive by including any combination of these condiments so your family and friends can pile on all the goodies they love. They will be happy. Here are suggestions:

sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, grated
tortilla chips, store-bought or made from thinly slicing corn tortillas and frying in a small cast-iron skillet in ½ cup hot oil, draining on paper towels
saltine crackers
green onions, chopped
jalapeño, minced 
salsa, red or tomatillo
avocados, diced
olives, chopped
sour cream
radishes, sliced
cilantro, minced
lime wedges

Photo: Lynn Donaldson