Hominy is dried maize (whole white corn) kernels that are treated with lime or an alkaline solution. A nutritional side note... This process of preparing the dried maize, called nixtamalization, involves treating the grain with lime and ash. This treatment is responsible for converting unabsorbable niacin found naturally in corn to the 'free-form' of niacin (vitamin B3); allowing it to be absorbed in the body. Niacin is an important B-vitamin, and a deficiency can lead to the disease Pellagra. Symptoms include dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia and eventually death if left untreated; but it's reversible with nutritional therapy if caught in time. Although this disease is rarely seen these days thanks to the fortification of foods; it used to be a larger problem until about 50 years ago.
In the early 1900s, a doctor & epidemiologist named Joseph Goldberger traveled to the Southern US to investigate the cause of pellagra in poor populations; especially in prisons & institutions. He concluded the disease was related to eating a diet deficient in niacin and tryptophan. The diet commonly given to prisoners was named The Three M's; meat (fatback), meal (cornmeal), and molasses. Because the cornmeal wasn't treated, their diet was deficient in the absorbable form of niacin causing the deficiency disease. Few believed his conclusion & still thought pellagra was an infectious disease. To prove them wrong, Dr Goldberger injected himself with blood, urine, and other bodily fluids from the prisoners with pellagra; never contracting it. Although his conclusion was eventually believed; it wasn't until a few years after Goldberger's death that the link between niacin was found to be the official cause of the disease. And now for some history on the actual dish..
After researching the origination of pozole, I learned something much more interesting than I bargained for. Pozole is a traditional Mexican stew; originally served on special occasions. It's main ingredients consist of hominy and a meat, usually pork and chicken or beef. Ancient Mexicans believed the gods made humans out of masa (cornmeal dough); and since corn was a sacred plant for the Aztecs, it was only made for special occasions. It is also said the Aztecs and other Mesoamericans would use human meat in the pozole. When prisoners were killed in ritual sacrifice, their bodies were chopped and cooked with corn as a sacrifice for the gods. The pozole was shared around town as an act of religious communion. After the Spanish colonization, cannibalism was banned and pork became the staple meat for pozole. The dish was adapted by many other countries; but the main ingredients of hominy and meat are present in each one.
If you haven't completely lost your appetite yet; here's my version...
I first made this with only a couple vegetables; slowly trying new ones with each new batch. For less heat, I suggest omitting the habanero pepper. Even though the ingredient list is long, most are things normally found in the kitchen; making it a pretty easy and cheap recipe. This makes a big batch & I usually get a dinner for two plus & a few lunches for the week out of it. Also, if you feel like experimenting and making it a truly gourmet soup; add in fresh roasted tomatillos (green tomatoes) or roasted hot peppers. That'll really kick it up a notch!
Spicy Southwestern Pozole
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves; minced
- 1 yellow onion; chopped
- 1 cup celery; 1/2" dice (~2-3 stalks)
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & chopped*
- 1 habanero pepper; seeded & chopped*
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground chili powder
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp each; salt & pepper
- 1 whole bay leaf
- 1 large zucchini; quartered lengthwise & diced into large chunks
- 1 large yellow squash, quartered lengthwise & diced into large chunks
- 1 (14.5) oz can no salt added diced tomatoes; do not drain
- 1 (7 oz.) can salsa verde (green salsa)
- 1 (32 oz) container of low sodium/low fat chicken broth
- 1 (15 oz) can white hominy; drained & rinsed well**
- 1 rotisserie chicken meat; skin removed and meat shredded
- juice of one medium-large lime
- 1 cup fresh cilantro; coarsely chopped
~Garnish with: sliced avocado, queso fresco (fresh mexican white crumbling cheese), a lime wedge & fresh cilantro leaves
Directions:
Heat oil in large saucepan or dutch oven over med-high heat. Add garlic, saute for 1-minute until it turns light golden. Stir often & take caution not to burn the garlic. Add to the pan onion, celery, and oregano through the bay leaf; continue cooking on med-high, stirring occcasionally until the onion & celery begin to soften (~4 min). Stir in zucchini & yellow squash & saute for another couple minutes until the squash softens slightly. Next, add in the canned diced tomatoes, salsa verde, chicken broth & hominy. While uncovered, bring soup to a boil for a couple minutes then turn the heat down to low-simmer. Stir in the shredded chicken and lime juice; cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes on low heat. Right before you take the soup off the heat, stir in the 1-cup cilantro leaves. This is added last, because cilantro's flavor and color cook out very easily. Remove the bay leave before serving.
When you are ready to serve; garnish each bowl with slices of avocado, crumbled queso fresco, a lime wedge & a few cilantro sprigs.
*Note for hot peppers: If you dont like the heat but want flavor; choose a milder pepper like Anaheim or Cherry Peppers; and select jalapeno peppers with the least amount of wrinkles on the skin. The more wrinkles, the hotter the pepper. To protect your fingers from burning, run the peppers under hot water when seeding & wear tight gloves when chopping the peppers. It makes a Big difference!
**Hominy can be found in the Latin-American section of the grocery store. If you cannot find it there, check your local ethnic store.
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