Posole

Posole is often referred to as the "Bowl of Blessedness" by those in the Southwest and Mexico. Posole is the mother process for curing or preserving corn.  Posole is made by soaking white corn kernels in ground limestone and water and then dried.  This stew is very flavorful and just fabulous when you top it with the cilantro, fresh lime, radish slices and shredded cabbage.
On my website, www.janebutelcooking.com, I have a copy of my syndicated story I wrote for the Los Angeles Times several years ago.  This story gives a great more detail of the history.

Posole is not to be confused with hominy, which is prepared with lye--a corrosive chemical which destroys the cellulosic coating.

POSOLE

(Dried Corn with Pork and Red Chiles) 

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 You may serve this either as a side dish or main dish. I like to layer toppings such as fresh shredded cabbage, fresh lime wedges, avocado cubes and cilantro sprigs.

 Yield:  15 to 16 servings

1 pound dried posole

1 quart water, or more

2 pounds pork, steak or roast, cut into ½” cubes

1 Tablespoon salt or to taste

2 garlic cloves, minced

pinch of Mexican oregano

1 Tablespoon cumin, or to taste

¼ cup caribe chile or to taste

1. Simmer the posole in unseasoned water until it becomes soft and the kernels have burst open; it usually requires 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

2. Brown the pork cubee in a cold, well-seasoned frying pan; adding no fat or oil to the pan. Saute until very browned, then add to the posole.  Deglaze the frying pan with 1 cup water, stirring to loosen the brownies sticking to the pan.  Also add this liquid to the posole.

3. Add remaining ingredients, using one-half the cumin and cook the stew for 1 or more hours, to blend the flavors.  Just before serving, add the remaining half of cumin.  Taste and adjust the seasonings.  Ideally, this dish should be started the morning before it is to be served, to allow the flavors to develop.

Notes:  In Old Mexico the following toppings are often served and posole is a main dish and often called the Chicken Noodle Soup of Mexico--good for curing colds and ills:

        

        2 cups thinly shredded fresh cabbage

        2 limes, cut into wedges

        1 avocado, pitted, peeled and cut into cubes

        1 bunch cilantro sprigs

In Mexico, posole is often spelled with a “z” instead of an “s”.

Mole Verde

A delightfully full flavored green mole from the Mayan culture. When I had my New York City Restaurant, the Pecos River Cafe, it was voted one of the healthiest restaurant dishes in the City by the New York Hospital Dieticians. Totally wonderful served with the Comino Rice from a previous You Tube and Blog.

MOLE VERDE

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Subtle and complex in flavor, this chicken is elegant enough to serve company. Don’t be daunted by the long list of ingredients; the dish can be mad in only about an hour. It’s absolutely wonderful in warmed fresh corn tortillas with at topping of guacamole and sour cream; you might also serve it over rice or with a side dish of stewed beans.

1 (3 lb) broiler-fryer chicken, cut for frying or chicken breast or thighs
About 3 cups chicken broth
2 Tablespoons juice from pickled jalapeno chiles
1 cup ground almonds
1 large onion, quartered
6 to 8 leaves dark green lettuce (romaine, leaf lettuce or outer leaves of iceberg lettuce)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup flat-leaf parsley springs
1 large clove garlic
6 fresh or pickled jalapeno chiles, stemmed
1/3 cup virgin olive oil
Salt to taste, if desired
12 corn tortillas, warmed, or 3 to 4 cups hot cooked rice
Guacamole, if desired
2 cups sour cream, if desired

1. Place chicken in a single layer in a large pot. Pour in broth and jalapeno juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 35 to 45 minutes or until tender. Cool in cooking broth. Lift chicken from broth (reserve broth); discard skin and bones and tear meat in chunks.

2. If you need to grind the almonds, grind them in a blender, using a pulsing action. Then preheat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet. When oil is hot, add the ground almonds and sauté until lightly tanned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside.

Then, to prepare the sauce, in a food processor or blender, add a cup of the reserved broth, then process onion, lettuce, cilantro, parsley, garlic, and jalapenos until quite smooth. Add additional chicken broth, a few tablespoons at a time, until mixture has the consistency of whipping cream. Set aside.

4. Add pureed sauce to the toasted almonds and heat and cook until the sauce is somewhat thickened. Taste and adjust flavors. Then add the chicken and simmer together 10 to 15 minutes or until flavors are blended and sauce is hot.

5. Serve in warmed tortillas or over rice, topped with guacamole and sour cream, if desired.

Note: For a slightly lower fat and calorie version, reduce the olive oil to 2 Tablespoon and the almonds to 2/3 cup – any less really affects the flavor and texture.

Red Chile Beef Enchiladas

Red Chile Beef Flat Enchiladas are perhaps the most popular entrée in Traditional New Mexican cooking.  Native New Mexicans frequently eat a fried egg atop these.  In Northern New Mexico, they like them served spicy hot, so the egg is a great foil for the spicy heat.  The ground beef is cooked into the sauce, rather than serving the sauce over roasted, shredded beef called “deshabrado”.  These enchiladas can be prepared rolled, if preferred.  If you wish to roll them in advance and freeze, always freeze the sauce for topping them in a separate container. 

RED CHILE BEEF ENCHILADAS 
(Flat Enchiladas)

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Use this recipe for Red Chile Beef Enchiladas.  You can adapt the recipe to Basic Red Chile Sauce, by omitting the beef and starting with 2 Tablespoons butter, lard or bacon drippings.

For Red Chile Beef Sauce:

Yield:  2-1/2 cups

1 pound ground chuck or 80% lean beef

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup ground pure mild red chile, such as Pecos Valley Spice Co.

1/4 cup ground pure hot red chile, such as Pecos Valley Spice Co.

2 cups beef stock or water

1 garlic clove, crushed

Pinch of ground Mexican oregano, such as Pecos Valley Spice Co.

Pinch of ground cumin, such as Pecos Valley Spice Co.

3/4 teaspoon salt (if not using stock)

1.   Saute  crumbled beef into a 9 inch skillet or sauté pan and cook until the pink color disappears.  Add flour and stir until smooth and slightly golden.

2.   Remove pan from heat and add ground chiles.  Return to heat and gradually stir in stock.  Add garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt, if using, and cook, stirring, about 10 minutes.  Simmer at least 5 more minutes for flavors to blend.

For Enchiladas:

Yield: 4 Servings

8 white, yellow or blue corn tortillas

About 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese

4 onion, chopped (may be cooked into the sauce)

4 to 6 eggs (optional), soft fried

6 to 8 lettuce leaves (optional), coarsely chopped

2 ripe tomatoes (optional), cut in wedges

1.   Place a little chile sauce on a warmed plate, then top with a tortilla followed by cheese, onion, and more sauce.  Repeat once or twice more, making a stack of 2 or 3 tortillas layered with cheese, onion, and sauce (see Note).  Top each enchilada with more sauce and cheese.  Place in the preheated oven until the cheese melts.  Top with an egg, if desired, and garnish with the chopped lettuce and tomato wedges.  These are traditional Santa Fe style.

Pollo Rellenos

These party perfect stuffed chicken breast rollups dressed up with a simply beautiful Salsa Fresca are really a great fast entree for a light meal as they only weigh in at 205 calories each. I created this dish for my "Jane Butel's Quick and Easy" cookbook and have made them many, many times and have even sliced them into 1/2 inch rounds for an appetizer. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

If you prefer to bake them conventionally, use a 375F oven and bake for 20 minutes or until well done. The chicken is done when it is firm to the touch or reaches 185F

POLLO RELLENOS WITH SALSA GARNISH

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Relleno in Spanish means stuffed. Here, I have stuffed the chicken breasts with cheese and green chile, then coated them with a crispy coating. The traditional Salsa Fresca is wonderful as an accompaniment.

Yield: 4 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed of any fat or sinew (see note)

2 Tablespoons low-fat Cheddar Cheese or more to suit taste

2 Tablespoons chopped green chile (canned or frozen) or more to suit taste

¼ cup skim milk or buttermilk

½ cup cornflake crumbs (see note)

Salsa Fresca, optional

1.  Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Pound with a tenderizer mallet or the flat side of a heavy knife. Lay the chicken breasts out flat and divide the cheese and chiles among them.

Roll the chicken and fasten with toothpicks or skewers, tucking in the sides to hold the cheese mixture. Dip in the milk to coat uniformly then dip into the cornflake crumbs.

2.   Place in a microwave-safe baking dish, cover with wax paper, and cook on high for 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the Salsa Fresca, if using. Spoon a ribbon of salsa over each serving.

Note: You may need more corn flake crumbs for larger breasts.  Boneless, skinless thighs can be substituted, if preferred. Cheese-cracker crumbs can be substituted for the cornflake crumbs, but they contain more fat.

Salsa Garnish

½ cup chopped tomato

½ cup chopped onion

½ chopped green chiles

Combine the tomato, onion, and chiles; mix well.

Per serving: Calories 205, Protein 29 g, Carbohydrates 13 g, Fiber 1 g, Fat 3 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 74 mg, Sodium 242 mg.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Enchiladas are a main stay in traditional New Mexican and most Tex-Mex restaurants. Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are the most popular entrée in most New Mexican restaurants. I think after you make these, you might just agree that they are so easy to make and are more flavorful than you can get most anywhere. The rich chicken broth based sauce is so much more delicious than just the thickened green chile juice which is so often served.

Freshly roasted green chiles always create the very best and freshest flavor and are generally available most everywhere. Even though they are the New Mexican type green chiles, they are generally sold as Anaheim chiles. I have found them in Europe, Canada and most everywhere in the United States. 

GREEN CHILE CHICKEN ENCHILADA

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These are the traditional favorite of most visitors to New Mexico. And they are very popular with natives as well. The yummy green chile sauce tucked between layers of tortilla and richly melted  with cheese makes for a delicious entrée that can be readied two hours before baking if desired.
The green chile sauce is basic, yet versatile and can be used to create enchiladas, or pour over chimichangas or burritos.  Seafood, beef or beans can be substituted for the chicken, or take out the meat for a vegetarian version.

Yield:  4 servings

8  white, yellow or blue corn tortillas

1 cup oil for frying, optional

1 recipe Green Chile Sauce, attached

¾ cup 50/50 mixture of grated Cheddar & Monterey Jack cheese, or to taste 

½ cup or 1 medium-sized onion, chopped finely

¼ cup sour cream

New Mexico Green Chile Sauce

 

Yield:  2 cups

1 tablespoon butter or lard

2/3 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons flour

1-1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup (or more) chopped green chiles

1 cup cooked chopped chicken

1 large clove garlic, finely minced

3/4 teaspoon salt

Dash of ground comino (cumin)

Garni: 1 Tablespoon crushed caribe chile, 6 leaves each coarsely chopped Romaine and red leaf lettuce, 4 tomato wedges for each serving

1. For the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until soft. Stir in the flour.
2. Add the broth. Then add chiles, garlic, salt and comino.
3. Simmer for 20 minutes; then use for making enchiladas.
4. If desired, heat oil on medium high heat in a small skillet, when oil is hot; lightly fry them. If not frying, just use tortillas right from the package.  If rolling the tortillas, they must be lightly fried.
5. For Flat Enchiladas:  Preheat the oven to 350 F about 15 minutes before serving. For each, place a spoonful of green chile sauce on the plate, then top with a tortilla, followed by a spoonful of sauce, spread to edges of the tortilla.  Then sprinkle  cheese and  onion and add another tortilla and repeat. Heat in a preheated  moderate 350 F oven until the cheese melts.  To serve, top each enchilada with a dollop of sour cream and a generous sprinkle  of caribe chile flakes.  Encircle each enchilada with Romaine lettuce first, then red leaf and place tomato wedges facing the same direction equally spaced around the enchilada. .

Variation for Rolled Enchiladas:  Dip the lightly fried tortilla into the sauce and place a strip of each grated cheese and chopped onion down the center.  Roll and top with more sauce and cheese.  To serve a crowd, place the rolled enchiladas in a large, shallow baking dish, but do not cover with sauce.   Just before serving, heat in a moderate 350F oven.  Warm the sauce separately and add just as you are ready to serve.  Do not overcook or the enchiladas will be very mushy.  Top with additional cheese and reheat until it melts.  Add lettuce around edges before serving.