Please party-goers with a pot of pozole

By Barbara Hansen
Los Angeles Times

Above: Pozole condiments, clockwise from bottom left: oregano, lime, lettuce, serrano chiles and onion. Lower right: pozole verde (green pozole) is made with chicken and limes as well as dried corn. Los Angeles Times Add pizzazz to your pozole Let your guests add their own splash to their soup with a range of condiments to mix and match: Pork Lime Tomatillos Cilantro Garlic Tomatoes Hominy Dried oregano seeds Dried or fresh chiles Salsa Onions Shredded cabbage Shredded lettuce Sliced radishes Dried corn

Pozole is party food because the dish isn't complete until each diner splashes on more colors and flavors of condiments.

A squeeze of lime adds zing. Dried oregano sends out an intense herbal aroma. Dried or fresh chiles or a hot chile salsa spices it up.

Chopped onion is a must. Shredded cabbage or lettuce gives a cool crunch, and sliced radishes add a striking dash of red and white.

Crisp, golden-brown tortillas made into tostada bases are the traditional accompaniment.

What makes pozole distinctive is the main ingredient — dried corn. Go to a supermarket that caters to Latinos, and buy a sack of nixtamal — dried corn cooked with food-grade lime until it can be hulled. The softened, cooked corn can then be ground into masa for tortillas or tamales. Or left whole and cooked further to make pozole.

Some people substitute canned hominy, but why do that when cooking nixtamal is so easy? You just put the corn in a pot, add water and simmer until the kernels burst forth like flowers. (American-style canned hominy is processed with a different alkali, so its flavor is not quite the same. Mexican-style canned hominy brands such as Juanita's and El Mexicano are processed in the traditional manner.)

Supermarkets that stock Latino foods usually carry both canned Mexican-style hominy and fresh nixtamal. Packed in two- and five-pound bags, nixtamal is usually in the refrigerated deli section, along with fresh masa. As the nixtamal cooks, a warm, earthy aroma envelops the kitchen.

There's no single recipe for pozole. What goes into the pot besides corn varies from place to place in Mexico, so there are different versions: green pozole in Colima, red or white pozole in Jalisco, seafood pozole in Veracruz and on the coast of Oaxaca. Pueblo Indians in the United States have their own versions.

Pork is the most popular pozole meat today, although the indigenous inhabitants of Mexico made pozole long before the Spaniards arrived and introduced pigs.

In the state of Guerrero, green pozole is thicker and contains tomatillos. For red pozole, the broth can be colored with cascabel chiles ground with tomatoes and lean pork. Some pozoles are made with cabeza (head) and pig's feet.

This recipe is from Guanajuato.

Pozole Verde

• 1 (2-pound) bag nixtamal
• 25 cups (6 quarts plus 1 cup) water, divided
• 6 chicken breast halves, about
• 4 pounds
• 6 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 pound (4 medium) poblano chiles
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 2 medium onions, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 6 serrano chiles, sliced
• 4 to 6 limes, cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup or more dried oregano
• 1 package whole crisp corn tortillas (used for tostadas)

Place the nixtamal in a colander and rinse thoroughly. Pour it into a large dutch oven or a heavy lidded pot, add 16 cups water and bring to a boil. Boil gently, loosely covered, 2 hours, or until tender.

Do not allow the mixture to boil dry. Enough water should remain at the end of the cooking time to keep the nixtamal moist.

Meanwhile, wash the chicken. Place it in a heavy lidded pot with 8 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.

Strain and measure the broth, adding water if necessary to equal 8 cups. Shred the meat, discarding the skin and bones. Set aside the broth and the chicken. When the nixtamal is tender, remove it to a bowl. Wash the pot, then return the cooked nixtamal to the pot.

Wash the poblano chiles and discard the stems and seeds. Cut into chunks.

Wash the cilantro and cut off the tips of the stems. Place the chiles and cilantro in a blender jar and add 1 cup water.

Blend until thoroughly pureed.

Slice 1 onion. Add the chile-cilantro puree, the chicken broth, the sliced onion, the garlic cloves and 4 1/2 teaspoons salt to the nixtamal. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.

Add the chicken and cook 15 more minutes. Dice the remaining onion and place it in a small bowl.

Arrange the lettuce, serrano chiles, lime wedges and oregano in separate bowls, and the crisp tortillas in a basket or bowl.

To serve, ladle the pozole into large soup bowls and add lettuce, chile slices, lime juice and oregano as desired, with tortillas to accompany.

Each serving: 523 calories; 28 grams protein; 88 grams carbohydrates; 13 grams fiber; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 44 mg cholesterol; 1,608 mg sodium.

Total time: 3 hours, 10 minutes Servings: 8 to 10.

Pozole Estilo Jalisco

• 12 to 16 dried cascabel chiles
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 (2-pound) package nixtamal
• 24 cups (6 quarts) water
• 3 medium onions, divided
• 1 head garlic, cloves separated
• 3 pounds plum tomatoes
• 3 pounds pork for pozole (cut-up pork shoulder, with bones) or pork stew meat
• 3 tablespoons salt or to taste
• 1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1 bunch radishes, trimmed and sliced
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup dried oregano
• Crushed or ground chile pequin or
• other hot chile
• 10 to 12 limes, cut into wedges
• 1 package whole crisp corn tortillas (used for tostadas)

Cut open the cascabel chiles and remove the seeds. Heat the oil in a small skillet over low heat. Add the chiles and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover with water and soak overnight. Before using, drain the chiles, discarding the water; remove the stems and any remaining seeds.

Place the nixtamal in a colander and rinse thoroughly. Place in a dutch oven or heavy lidded pot and add the water. Slice 1 onion and add it to the pot along with the garlic cloves. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil gently, covered, 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, place the tomatoes in a pan of boiling water and cook 2 minutes. Drain and allow to cool, then peel. Place the tomatoes and the chiles in a blender and puree. Set aside.

Remove the excess fat from the pork. The meat can remain in large chunks. When the nixtamal has boiled 1 1/2 hours, add the pork, the tomato-chile mixture and the salt. Cover and boil gently 1 1/2 hours longer.

Chop the 2 remaining onions. Arrange the chopped onions, lettuce, radishes, oregano, ground chile and lime wedges in serving bowls.

To serve, ladle the pozole into large soup bowls. Add the garnishes and squeeze in lime juice as desired, with tortillas to accompany.

Each serving: 622 calories; 28 grams protein; 100 grams carbohydrates; 20 grams fiber; 16 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 52 mg cholesterol; 2,202 mg sodium.

Total time: 3 hours, 20 minutes plus overnight soaking

Servings: 8 to 10 .