Ancho Pork and Hominy Stew

I am a huge fan of Posole – which is a Mexican stew make with pork and hominy, often served on Christmas Eve. If you have not had hominy before, it is dried and puffed kernels of white corn. They make a great addition to stews because they are hearty like beans, and have a wonderful corn flavor. I found this recipe in Cooking Light and only made a couple of changes. If you don’t have ancho chile powder, it is fine to use regular chile powder. This is definitely one of the healthiest versions I have made, with no compromise on flavor. There is no need to cook this stew for hours, it comes together very quickly. I must say though, the best Posole has been frozen and then reheated – so make some extra and freeze it, you will very happy with the results. This stew is perfect with cornbread – and also delicious over polenta.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped onion
3/4 cups chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cups chopped red bell pepper
1 small can of diced green chiles
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can hominy, drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

Preparation

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; set 1 1/2 teaspoons spice mixture aside. Add pork to remaining spice mixture in bowl, tossing well to coat.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork mixture to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove pork from pan; set aside. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Return pork to pan. Add reserved 1 1/2 teaspoons spice mixture, chile peppers, broth, hominy, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes.

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