We are having a dalliance with Mexican food. We recently traveled to Guadalajara and San Miguel de Allende and tasted all kinds of food from street offerings to meals at sit-down restaurants. While in San Miguel we tried posole (pork and hominy stew) at a local restaurant called La Alborado on Diez de Sollano. The posole is a very tasty combination of soup and stew and it is a very filling meal. It was thinner and spicier than ours, but very good, and there were so many accompanying bowls with toppings, sauces, and garnishes such as radishes, crunchy cabbage and tart lime. They add color and texture. Tortillas or tortilla chips belong in the mix as well.

We enjoyed many local food products and brought back the sweetest honey imaginable, sweet and savory jams, Valentina pepper sauce, tamarindo and different kinds of chiles. For the posole we used two large “Guajillo” chiles. The package reads: Empresa 100% Mexicana - picante! If you aren’t planning a trip to Mexico you can find red chiles at the supermarket. The placemat is from a textile shop in the historic city of Tlaquepaque, in the state of Jalisco. Tlaquepaque is known for its local crafts and pottery.

Serves 10, ready in 3 hours

1 head of garlic
12 cups water
4 cups chicken broth
3 lbs pork shoulder
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
2 large red chiles
1 ½ cups boiling water
½ white onion
1 tsp salt
2 pounds of prepacked white hominy (can used canned as well
tortilla chips
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
hot sauce to taste

Serving garnishes
wedges of lime
sprigs of cilantro
fried tortilla strips or chips
shredded cabbage
thinly sliced radishes
finely chopped onions
refried beans
salsa
chile sauce
a sprinkle of queso fresco.

Peel and slice all but two cloves of garlic. Bring water and broth to a boil in a large soup pot with sliced garlic and pork, bay leaf, thyme, and oregano. If the pork is very fatty you may need to skim the surface of the pot occasionally. Let the pork gently simmer, partially covered, until tender (1-½ to 2 hours). Transfer pork to a cutting board and shred the pork, using 2 forks, or tear by hand. Save the cooking liquid.

Posole garnishings at La Alborado in San Miguel de Allende

To make the chile sauce, remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. You may want to wear rubber gloves, and be careful not to touch your face! Boil 2 cups of water and pour over the chiles. Soak the chiles,for 30 minutes, moving them around occasionally. Cut the onion into large pieces and peel those last two cloves of garlic. Combine the chiles, soaking liquid, onion, garlic and a teaspoon of salt in a blender or food processor. Mix until smooth.

If using prepared hominy (canned, or if you can get it vacuum packed), rinse and drain it. Return pork to broth mixture and add chile sauce, hominy, and salt to taste. Simmer uncovered posole, until the hominy is softened - 30 to 60 minutes, and the liquid begins to thicken. Check the seasonings and add salt and/or hot sauce as needed. Add garnishes and serve.