3 cans whole hominy grits or 5 cups freshly prepared OR frozen hominy
1 fresh poblano chile
1 fresh jalapeño chile
1 small onion, unpeeled
1 clove garlic
1 dried ancho chile
1 dried arbol chile, if you want it hot (optional)
1/2 pound chorizo sausage (optional)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 ounces queso fresco, crumbled (1 cup)
12 fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish
4 radishes, cut into thin slices
6 Lime wedges, for garnish
If using canned posole, just rinse and drain. If using frozen posole, boil in water for about 1 hour, or until tender.
Preheat the broiler on high. Adjust the rack so that it is 3 inches from the heat source.
Roast the poblano, jalapeño, onion, and garlic under the broiler. Turn using tongs until the skins are blackened. Remove from the oven and place in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let steam until cool. Remove the blackened skins, stems, and seeds, discard and coarsely chop.
In the meanwhile, remove the stems, seeds, and membranes from the dried chiles and discard. Toast the ancho and arbol chiles in a dry skillet over low heat, shaking and turning the chiles until softened and fragrant. Be careful not to burn. Remove, place in a small bowl, cover with hot water, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let them steep for 15 minutes to soften. Remove the chiles from the water, remove and discard the seeds, and coarsely chop. The chile arbol will be the hottest chile. (A whole pepper will be very hot. Use it accordingly.)
Preheat the oven to 350°. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with oil.
Cut the chorizo into rounds and brown in skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and turn using tongs for 7 minutes, or until browned on both sides and completely cooked. Remove and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle the dried oregano over the chorizo.
Place the posole in a large bowl. Add the chiles, onion, and garlic, and stir to mix well. Add the chorizo and stir to combine. Add cilantro and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the posole into the baking dish. Sprinkle the cheese over the top. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned.
To serve, garnish with sprigs of cilantro, slices of radish, and 1 lime wedge on the side.
Posted: 9/23/2009 1:50:53 PM