Last week, I feasted on an absolutely delicious posole. If you aren’t familiar with this hearty soup, you are missing out. It is a main course dish that consists of pork, onions, garlic, dried chiles, hominy and cilantro that simmers together in broth.
Traditionally, it was served at Christmas and comes to us from Mexico’s Pacific coast area. As I savored each bite, I was reminded of how very much I love regional foods and especially hominy. Posole and hominy are the same thing. The name hominy comes from the Algonquian word “rockahominy.”
I grew up with hominy served as a frequent side dish with pork. In the South, that was common years ago and to have it pulled together in a soup is genius. Hominy is an overlooked item at the grocery store. As evidence, the last time I purchased it at the supermarket the store clerk asked me what it was.
Hominy is made by soaking whole kernel corn in a lime solution in order to remove the hull and germ. After soaking, it is rinsed and then either canned or dried and sold in that form. Dried hominy has to be reconstituted (like dried beans) before using in recipes. If it is ground, it is sold as grits.
Although uniquely colored corn can be used to make hominy, the corn most often used is either white or yellow. And that color is how it is sold canned and found in on the shelves near the canned corn. I like to buy one of each to mix them together for a beautiful side enhanced with just butter and black pepper.
One of the things I’ve been doing for years is using hominy in the place of whole kernel corn in recipes. It changes the look, texture and taste of the recipe in an interesting and tasty way.
From a culinary perspective, canned posole is somewhat inferior to the dried or frozen forms, but more convenient. Dried posole must be soaked overnight or cooked all day, but the texture is chewier, and flavor is sweeter, with more depth. If you can find frozen posole corn, it’s the best of both worlds: it cooks quickly and tastes as good as dried posole.
The difference between regular corn and posole comes by way of a process called nixtamalization, in which the corn is soaked in an alkaline bath of calcium hydroxide, aka lime. Lye, or more traditionally, wood ash, can be used as well. Nixtamalization removes the outer shells of the kernels, allowing them to swell to outsized proportions. The process prevents the corn seeds from sprouting, which was important for storage purposes in ancient Mesoamerica, where the process was invented.
Posole — pozole, south of the border — is consumed year-round in the Southwest, especially during the holidays, when the dish is considered as festive as it is comforting. But any gathering, large or small, winter or summer, is grounds for posole.
Adjust water level to your desired proportion of broth to chunks. I recommend keeping it on the brothy side. Add salt to taste. (I actually like the taste of a little soy sauce in there, too). Simmer for 15 minutes, season again, if necessary, and serve.
After about an hour of cooking the posole, add the meat to the pot, along with the garlic, garlic powder, and three quarters of the onion (reserve the remaining quarter onion for the garnish).
Although uniquely colored corn can be used to make hominy, the corn most often used is either white or yellow. And that color is how it is sold canned and found in on the shelves near the canned corn. I like to buy one of each to mix them together for a beautiful side enhanced with just butter and black pepper.
One of the things I’ve been doing for years is using hominy in the place of whole kernel corn in recipes. It changes the look, texture and taste of the recipe in an interesting and tasty way.
Rye flour doesn’t have as much gluten as all-purpose flour, so it will give you a dark, heavy result. Since it doesn’t rise as well when making bread, it is usually combined with flours that are higher in protein. I love it when used as a binder in meatloaf or meatballs.
Hominy is made by soaking whole kernel corn in a lime solution in order to remove the hull and germ. After soaking, it is rinsed and then either canned or dried and sold in that form. Dried hominy has to be reconstituted (like dried beans) before using in recipes. If it is ground, it is sold as grits.
I grew up with hominy served as a frequent side dish with pork. In the South, that was common years ago and to have it pulled together in a soup is genius. Hominy is an overlooked item at the grocery store. As evidence, the last time I purchased it at the supermarket the store clerk asked me what it was.
Rick Bayless: What is Pozole Corn and Calcium Hydroxide?
What are the different types of Hominy?
There are three types of hominy: dried, frozen and canned. Dried hominy keeps in the pantry (like beans) and is best soaked overnight before simmering in water until tender. Frozen hominy is a popular choice for making New Mexico pozole, and it’s typically cooked in a pressure cooker or slow cooker.
Where does Hominy come from?
Hominy comes from yellow or white maize, also known as field corn. Dried hominy kernels are soaked in an alkali solution of lye or slaked lime. This process, called nixtamalization, removes the hull and germ, making the corn easier to grind and cook with.
Is Hominy sweeter than white hominy?
Yellow hominy tends to be sweeter than white hominy. Treat dried hominy like you would dried beans by rinsing and soaking it in water for several hours (or up to overnight) before simmering on low heat until tender. For more flavor, you can opt to cook hominy in broth instead of water.
What is Hominy used for?
Hominy is a key ingredient in posole, a hearty Mexican stew, and can also be used to bolster a variety of soups, such as Chicken Soup with Wild Rice and Hominy and Turkey Chili with Hominy. It’s a versatile ingredient that bears keeping on hand; canned hominy offers a pantry short-cut to whipping up sides such as hominy hash or succotash.