![]() |
Red Chili Posole, a soup of the Americas with pre-hispanic roots that continues to grow in popularity |
TASTY IN NORTH PARK--My ancestors on my late mom’s side have been in
the Rio Grande valley of New Mexico ever since Spanish soldiers first visited
in the 1500’s to found Santa Fe and other countless outposts. I grew up with the regional cuisine
interpreted by my grandmother and great aunts and uncles. My mom had to work during WWII and didn’t get
to master the local cuisine. But I do
remember New Mexican cuisine is unique.
It is different from the Mexican/Latino/Hispanic style of cooking I
enjoy in San Diego. I know New Mexico
posole when I taste it.
In North Park, I’ve found
one dish at one restaurant that reminds me of my Spanish-American
heritage. It’s the posole served at El
Comal, 3946 Illinois, a short half block north of University Avenue. www.elcomalsandiego.com
El Comal’s posole comes in
red and white and served with a choice of pork or chicken. It is served with a side tray of onion,
avocado, cabbage, cilantro and two whole corn tortillas. The color comes from the chili.
Posole is basically a chili
flavored hominy soup. Its origins
predate my Spanish soldier ancestors with roots in the Aztec culture. Earliest New World writings mention posole. The dish has an old soul.
Unfortunately,
I was too busy being important in my career and regret never asking my
beautiful grandmother and great aunts for the recipe. The recipe below is a very common one. Alas, it’s not my family’s but this homemade
version is tasty.
I found it on http://foododelmundo.com/
Why didn’t I
ask El Comal for their recipe?
Something’s
need not be tinkered with—it’s their secret and I respect that.
To El Comal’s
credit it is one of the few sit down restaurants offering Mexican style cuisine
that has the wonderful taste only found at a handful of take-out restaurants
like Seguaro’s (Grim & 30th Sts). I’ve never been able to understand why most
restaurant fare serving Mexican can’t compete with the flavor of the best take
out stands in this city. Another mystery
not to be explored today.
In the
meantime, try El Comal’s posole or try your hand at home with the following
recipe by fellow blogger Mary at foododelmundo.com
Red Chili Posole (pork)
makes 1 Gallon
In large soup pot over
med-high heat saute:
1 Diced Onion
3 Pounds Diced Pork
When pork is slightly
browned add:
12 Cups of Beef Broth
1 Pound Dried Hominy - you
can use 2 pounds of canned hominy, but then you may have to thicken the soup
with a little corn starch
1/4 Cup Granulated Garlic
4 Cups Bueno Brand Red
Chile Puree I’m pretty sure this is extremely expensive to have shipped
**Update** I purchased
Hatch New Mexico Chiles from The Real South West I seeded and cleaned 12 chiles
then boiled in 3 to 4 cups of water then put in the blender until smooth. Worked perfectly! Hatch is a village in New Mexico.
Let simmer until Hominy is
soft, about an hour and a half and stir in:
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Mexican or regular
Oregano
Don’t be afraid to let it
simmer longer. And, it tastes great the
next day as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment