Not another meal that has a face...

We attempted to have a huge International Weekend with some very dear friends of ours, and decided that we would choose Mexico as our country. Seeing that they have small children I figured we could make tacos for them while the adults sampled the meal that I created. This plan was coming together brilliantly...especially the part were Ilde and I would drink Margarita's. Sadly the entire Cook clan came down with the funk (strep) so the party moved back to my house and once again just consisted of me, Marc and our two dear friends that come over weekly to sample whatever crazy thing that I have made.

While we as American's are aware of many of the wonderful foods that our neighbors to the south call indigenous, there are quite a few on the National dish list that I had never heard of before. There is Barbacoa which required me to have the head of a cow and to bury it in my yard. First of all...I do live in Tennessee and can find a great many cow heads, however they are still attached to the cow and I don't think the un-attaching is altogether that easy. Also, cow heads are not exactly something that you can pick up at your neighborhood grocery store. Then I had to think about...Would a cow head fit in my car? My oven? Would the vultures and/or other wild beasts get a hold of it while it was buried in the yard? How big of a hole are we talking here? Would Beau dig it up? Would I get reported to the local Jesus Assembly for my obvious devil worshiping (as I clearly would not have a cow head if I wasn't a devil worshiper)? What do you do with a cow head carcass after you are done with it? Would the cows that live down the street catch wind of what was going on...revolt...and trample me? Would I bring on some Sanitarian curse if I did not handle said cow head properly? Well you get the idea...I was honestly creeped out and decided that Barbacoa was not the meal for me to tackle in the virgin stages of this project. So I decided that I would make pozole...only to go down the ingredients list to find that I needed a pig head for this meal. Honestly Mexico...Come On!
I even found a picture of one Mexican grandmother's ingredients...notice that she has a pig head! Not I! Nope! Not Even!

Thankfully Christine had a few Authentic Mexican cook books that she offered up as hope for the weary. Assuming that Mr. Rick Bayless (very very white man and brother of ESPN guy Skip Bayless) would have the Americanized version of the recipes that I needed to make. He did, and had a good pozole recipe that was equally as vague as all of the other recipes that I have come across...only I will get upset with him because his book has been published. A little more step by step instruction would be nice. So below is 95% his recipe with my step by step tweaking and glorious commentary!
MEXICO

Pozole
Ingredients: Here are my ingredients! I would like to thank the nice boys behind the meat counter at the market for A) thinking that I am the most amazing woman on earth and B) for giving me alternate cuts of meat to make Pozole!

• 2 pounds (or 4 cans) of hominy
• 1 lb pork neck, back or shoulder bone in
• 1 1/2 lb boneless pork shoulder (I recommend more if you want more meat)
• 1 pound fresh tomatillos (you can go a little over) The recipe also says you can use 2 13 0z cans but I had no problem finding fresh tomatillos.
• 6 serrano chiles (stemmed,seeded and chopped)
• 3 jalapeno peppers (stemmed, seeded and chopped)
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 large sprigs of epazote If you can not find this you can use fresh parsley
• 2 small hoja santa leaves Easily found at the International Market but no idea where else they can be found
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  
• Salt to taste
• 2 2/3 cups hulled, untoasted pumpkin seeds. Now with this I did a little recycling and killed off my lovely fall display.

Here is what I have learned about pumpkin seeds. 1) I never liked pumpkins and this just reaffirms my dislike for them. 2) Just because it is a large pumpkin does not mean that it will have a lot of seeds. 3) The seeds are inside of the things that you pull out. So I actually screwed this meal up from the beginning. So please just go buy them!!! And insert the appropriate pumpkin seeds in the appropriate state everywhere you see my pumpkin seeds.

You will also need the following ingredients to have as garnishment and for condiments when you eat the pozole.

• 1 cup diced red onion
• 1/2 cup dried oregano (or just put the container on the table like I did)
• 2 ripe avocados peeled, pitted and diced into 1/2 inch chunks
• 2 cups of chicharrones (aka: Pork Rinds...DO NOT get flavored ones)
• 12 to 15 Tostadas
• 4 limes, cut into quarters.

METHOD

In a LARGE stock pot put 10 pints of water and your meat and bones.



If your kitchen is as bright as mine make sure you wear your shades while starting the broth. Oh yeah and your ipod too...very crucial for cooking!

Bring to a boil. Skim the foam off for a few minutes.

Drop the temperature to medium let slow cook for 3 hours.

After at least three hours (you can go longer) you can begin the rest of the recipe.

Heat a large skillet for a few minutes over medium heat. Add the pumpkin seeds in a shallow layer. When the first one pops, stir them constantly until all have popped and and turned a golden color. Remove and place in a large bowl.
Chop your tomatillos and cook in a sauce pan until tender. Use just enough salted water to cover.

Cook about 10 minutes until they look like this.



While your tomatillos are cooking you can chop (if you haven't already) your onion, jalapenos, serrano's, espazote (or parsley if you are using it) and your hoja santa leaves. I finely chopped the hoja santa and the espazote.

Add all of the these ingredients to your cooked tomatillos along with the pumpkin seeds.

Next add two large spoon fulls of broth. Let simmer on medium heat until vegetables are soft.

Once the veggies are soft. Remove from heat. Spoon into the blender.

And create a puree.

Please remember that this is very hot! Now, in a skillet over medium heat, put your oil in the pan. Once hot, add your puree and cook. Stir constantly for about 7 minutes or until the puree has visibly darkened.

Remove the meat and the bones from the broth and set aside to cool. Once removed add the add the hominy. (Make sure to drain the liquid from the cans)

Next add your puree.

Now let this simmer for one hour! During this time you can prepare your condiments, dance around your kitchen, drink a margarita, and peel the meat off the bones.

You may dispose of the bones however you see fit. My dogs ate them out of the trashcan, but they are bad. :)
After the hour has passed, add the meat and cook for 15 minutes (at least) before serving!



How to Eat it!

You will of course have all of your condiments on the table for yourself and your guest to have. This level of choice makes this meal truly unique.

Since pozole is a stew serve in soup bowls. Christine and I ate it as a stew.

Marc went with the ever classy pinky up...as he loaded all of the condiments and some of the pozole pork on a tostada.

And Jason decided to add the Oregano!


Though it was a little salty and the pumpkin hulls made it a bit crunchy...everyone really enjoyed this meal. Well that or they really enjoyed the Margarita's and didn't really taste the soup. Either way this meal was a success and we will be making this one again! Only with the correct pumpkin innards! Or none at all...stupid pumpkins!


A good time was had by all!



And Christine even brought a full pig so that we could have a pig face! A sweet little gingerbread piggy!



My next meal will brought to you as Christmas dinner with the Meekers. We are having Coq Au Vin and exploring the wonderful tastes of France. And by tastes I mean wine. :)
So Feliz Navidad, everyone...Have a safe and Happy Holiday!