Have you ever had a food experience that you know you’ll never forget? I had one such experience recently with New Mexican Posole.
I was lucky enough to get to work with an amazing chef, talking flavors, tradition, and posole on my recent trip to New Mexico and I can’t wait to share some of that experience with you all.
Posole is a special dish, traditionally served between October and December in Mexico and places with a strong Mexican cultural influence. A simple stew made from pork and hominy; it’s a celebratory dish typically served for weddings, holidays like New Year’s Eve and other special occasions.
While we were in Albuquerque last month, I had the privilege of spending an afternoon with Jim Garcia, the VP of Operations for Sadies’s of New Mexico.
We made posole together and I’m excited to share his recipe with you today!
Jim gave me two tips for making great posole:
1.Cook the hominy long enough for the kernels to fully open and soften.
2. Do not add too many spices. You want to taste the pork and the hominy, not the spices. (This takes some restraint for spice lovers like myself but I promise you he’s right!)
Jim Garcia knows his stuff because this was hands-down the best posole I have ever tasted.
Mexican Posole
Posole, as we know it today, has Aztec origins. The dried corn (hominy) used in this recipe was considered sacred by the indigenous culture and therefore served on special occasions. Today, remnants of that tradition remain.
It’s common to make someone a batch of Posole on their birthday or serve this simple warming stew to family and loved ones on holidays, especially in the fall and winter.
It’s a comforting dish full if flavor from tender pork and mildly spiced with a touch of oregano, cumin and garlic powder.
Posole Recipe
It’s so easy to make good homemade posole with the right ingredients. You can use either canned hominy or dried hominy in this Posole Recipe. I had trouble finding dried hominy when it was time to make this recipe at home so I brainstormed a way to make it with canned instead!
Both methods turned out well. While I’m sure a Posole purist might scoff at the idea of using canned kernels, I thought the flavor was very similar to the batch I tasted made with fresh. You don’t want to miss out on this delicious recipe just because you can’t find dried hominy nearby!
If you’re using dried hominy, start by simmering the dried corn in water until the kernels are soft and open. This took about 45 minutes for us. You then add olive oil, cubed pork shoulder, salt and spices and let the whole thing simmer for an hour.
To make this recipe with canned hominy, you can skip the step of simmering the kernels separately. Since canned hominy is already cooked, simply add all the ingredients to boiling water and simmer for an hour or until the pork is tender and flavors are well combined.
Jim was right when he said good posole doesn’t need much spice. Simmering the pork and hominy together results in a rich, thick stew where the pork and corn flavors really shine through.
This recipe includes a tablespoon of cumin but be careful not to add more than that. (Definitely, don’t measure over the pot!) Too much cumin will completely overpower the pork and corn and ruin the flavor balance of this dish.
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with diced onion and red chile sauce on the side for topping. If you have the time, I highly recommend making your own New Mexico Red Chile Sauce to top this posole with! It’s worth the little bit of effort for the better flavor.
The original recipe Jim shared with me was created for their restaurant, so I’ve adapted it here for the home cook. As delicious as this posole is, I’m fairly certain most of us don’t need to make gigantic barrels of posole!
If you enjoy this soup, you might also enjoy Albondigas, another traditional Mexican soup recipe. I also love plenty of Mexican and Southwestern inspired stews, soups and chilis that aren’t quite as traditional but are still tasty, like Creamy Mexican Chicken and Corn Soup and Hearty Mexican Meat and Vegetable Stew.
New Mexican Posole
Ingredients
- 16 cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 58 ounces hominy drained can or 1 lb dried hominy
- 1½ pounds lean pork shoulder cut into 3/4" cubes
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin Jim's note: Use caution with the cumin, it can easily ruin the dish.
- 1 tablespoons ground oregano
- ½ tablespoon black pepper
Optional for serving
- diced onion
- red chile enchilada sauce
Instructions
- DIRECTIONS for using canned hominy: Bring the water to a boil and add all ingredients. Reduce to a low simmer and allow the soup to simmer for one hour.
- DIRECTIONS for using dried hominy: Bring the water to a simmer and add the hominy. Let it simmer for 45 minutes, until the kernels have softened and are bursting open. Add the meat and all of the spices. Simmer for one hour.
- Ladle into bowls and add onions and red chile to taste. I added a couple tablespoons of sauce to each bowl. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Sadie’s of New Mexico is a local landmark, well-known for exceptional food and standing room only locations. I took two of my nieces along with me to spend the afternoon with Jim.
While we were there, Jim roasted fresh green chile for us on the patio. The aroma was intoxicating and the chile was almost caramelized when he finished roasting it. This was like no green chile I’ve ever bought from the store.
We sampled at least a dozen items off the menu and I was impressed with every single dish we tasted. From the heat in the chile, to the salty margaritas, to the sweet Sopaipillas with a drizzle of honey, the offerings created a balanced and enjoyable restaurant experience.
The quality of the food combined with the care taken in the kitchen shows through in each recipe.
Sadie Koury opened the first Sadie’s restaurant 58 years ago and her little sister Betty Jo was her faithful shadow every day. Betty Jo Stafford is the heart of Sadie’s restaurant today.
This is evident in the way all of the employees speak of her. Betty is still in the restaurant five days a week, along with her sons Brian and William Stafford.
Sadie’s salsa and sauces are now sold in 12,000 locations throughout the United States. If you can find them in your area, buy them! Sadie’s salsa really is some of the best I’ve ever had.
Thank you to the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau for connecting me with Jim Garcia. I was not compensated in any way for this article. I’m sharing my experience simply because I had a wonderful time and I love the recipe!
Lisa @Garnish with Lemon says
Sounds like a fabulous combination of flavors, especially on a cold, cold day like today! Pinning it now!
Kimberly H says
Wow.. sounds & looks delightful!
Big Dude says
"Have you ever had a food experience that you know you'll never forget?" – not any more, I have CRS. Sounds very good Mary and it's always good to learn from the masters. Lea Ann (Highlands Ranch Foodie) served us our first ever Posole during last years visit and we loved it – not sure why we haven't made it yet.
Mary says
Larry! hahahahaha, I actually googled CRS to see if I needed to email you my sympathies! That is priceless. Thanks for the laugh!
Sue/the view from great island says
Fabulous pictures, Mary! I have never eaten or made posole, so I can't wait to try this.
Pam says
This sounds wonderfully authentic!
Grace Thomas says
Can't wait to make this. On the oregano, is it Mexican oregano or regular oregano. The Mexican oregano is stronger in it's taste and tastes a little from regular oregano.
Mary says
You know what, I used Mexican oregano when I made my version, but I'll have to check and see which one Jim was using. If you are partial to one over the other, I'd just use that one. I hope you love it!
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) says
Mary, it's a tradition of mine to make posole to take to the high country every Fall to view the Aspen trees turning and the elk rutting. It's delicious and one of my favorite soups. And this recipe is almost identical to mine. You'll have to try a Colorado (red) posole next. Similar, just richer in flavor.
Chris says
I swear that I can almost smell the rich aroma of the roasting chiles. The posole looks superb.
Anonymous says
The photos beneath the Posole recipe look great……Do you also have recipes available from your New Mexican recipe collection from Sadie's Restaurant? Please?
Thanks, I'm Patti L.
Mary says
I don't have those exact recipes from Sadies, Patti. I do have a lot of other Mexican food on the blog. Here's a link to the full collection: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/2011/04/mexican-recipes.html Enjoy!
Anonymous says
Hi there,
I love your blog and have got many awesome recipes from you, thanks for all your work. I have a silly question, is the pork cooked before hand, or does it cook with the posole?
Thanks,
Kim
Mary says
The pork is raw, Kim. It cooks with the posole.
Anonymous says
Thanks Mary!!
Esther Garcia O'Hare says
Hi, just came across your blog (pinned the chocolate-peppermint bark recipe), then found your posole recipe. Other delicious, traditional toppings include shredded cabbage and/or sliced radishes. Crunchy, yummy texture! We also add the red sauce into the posole while It’s simmering. Traditional in our family (I’m the 4th of 6 generations native Arizonans).
Jenn P says
Thank you for bringing me a little bit of where I grew up to me. I grew up eating Sadie’s and other Albuquerque area restaurants and how I miss them. (I now live in WV) NM food will forever and always be apart of me. In fact I am replying to you on where I buy my NM foods online. http://www.thefruitbasketabq.com/ The Fruit Basket has all the traditional New Mexican foods at very reasonable prices and shipped wonderfully.
I was able to buy dried posole, dried red chile, and pinto beans(which the ones they sell are not far from where I grew up). Now if you ever want to make this wonderful traditional dish from scratch you will know where to start. Out of the can is good, but there is something about the dried posole that makes it that much better.
Mary says
Thanks so much, Jenn!
Loretta Montoya says
Just an FYI…my mother never used cumin or oregano in her posole. You can omit either or both spices.
Chris says
I love the recipe you posted and will be sure to check out Sadie’s on our next trip to Albuquerque. Your blog seems like one I would like to read regularly, except that the over abundance of pop up ads are way too distracting. So sorry.
Ben says
You definitely have to try chicken posole with chopped roasted green chile, think green chile stew, but with chicken. Just s easy to make, replacing there pork work chicken and add the green chile. It smells and tasted like green chile chicken enchiladas, minus the cheese.
Mary Younkin says
I bet that’s delicious as well, Ben.
Daren Garber says
not a fan of hominy but frozen corn works a treat
(mom tried to pass it off as corn) the texture is what throws me
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you like it, Daren!
Gloria says
Just curious — how many servings does this recipe (New Mexican posole) make?
Mary Younkin says
As written, this makes 12 servings, Gloria.
Bonnie Pritchard says
How many oz to a serving? Thank you. Looks really good. The posole here in south texas usually has “tripe” but I really do not like that. I have had pork posole before and it was delicious. I loved the broth and veggies in the tripe posole, but picked out all the “tripe.” 🙂 I am going to try your recipe next week. Thanks for posting all your recipes….
Mary Younkin says
I hope that you love it, Bonnie! I’ve never measured the serving size that way.
Louise says
It’s HOMINY not HOMILY
Thanks for the recipes.
Mary Younkin says
oh my goodness, Louise! I have no idea what happened there!!! Thank you so much for catching that. I can’t believe that half the words in this post auto-corrected to homily and I missed it. I promise there is no spiritual discourse happening with this posole.
Beth Elwood says
Just like we enjoyed in Santa Fe! It’s definitely the real deal. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Mary Younkin says
I’m so happy that you love the posole, Beth!