HOMINY SUBSTITUTE IN POSOLE RECIPES

Steps:

• Drain soaked hominy and put in large soup pot. Cover with water and bring to boil. Let simmer briskly for 1 hour.
• While hominy is cooking, make red chile purée: Toast dried chiles lightly in cast-iron skillet or stovetop grill, just until fragrant. Wearing gloves, slit chiles lengthwise with paring knife. Remove and discard stems and seeds. Put chiles in saucepan and cover with 4 cups water. Simmer 30 minutes and let cool. In blender, purée chiles to a smooth paste using some cooking water as necessary. Purée should be of milkshake consistency.
• Season pork belly and pork shoulder generously with salt and pepper. After posole has cooked 1 hour, add pork shoulder, pork belly, onion stuck with cloves, bay leaf, garlic and cumin. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches, then return to a brisk simmer. While adding water occasionally and tasting broth for salt, simmer for about 2 1/2 hours more, until meat is tender and posole grains have softened and burst. Skim fat from surface of broth.
• Stir in 1 cup chile purée and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning. (At this point, posole can be cooled completely and reheated later. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.)
• To serve, ladle posole, meat and broth into wide bowls. Pass bowls of diced onion, lime wedges, cilantro and oregano, and let guests garnish to taste.

Steps:

• 1. Heat a small skillet over medium. Add chiles to pan; cook 1 minute or until toasted, turning occasionally. Place chiles in a medium bowl; add 3 cups boiling water. Let stand 15 minutes. Drain chiles; discard liquid. Place chiles in a blender. Add stock; blend until smooth. Set aside. 2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium. Add 1 tablespoon oil; swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add half of pork to pan; cook 6 minutes or until browned, turning occasionally. Place browned pork on a plate. Repeat procedure with remaining pork. 3. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add 11/2 cups onion and garlic; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add oregano, coriander, and cumin; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add reserved chile mixture, tomatoes, pork and accumulated juices, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, and cook, partially covered, 1 hour. Stir in hominy; simmer, partially covered, 20 minutes or until pork is tender. 4. Preheat oven to 425°F. 5. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Toss tortilla strips with 2 teaspoons oil. Spread strips on prepared baking sheet in a single layer; bake at 425°F for 7 minutes or until strips are browned and crisp. 6. Ladle soup into bowls and top with radish, cilantro, remaining onion, and tortilla strips.