Green Chile Posole

Christmas 2021. We drove to Las Cruces again and I am glad — I am always glad — because Hector is harder to reach by phone in the way that matters. On the phone he's fine. In person I can see what fine costs him. The trip cost him something real this time. The stairs in my parents' house have become a negotiation. Mom has installed a handrail on both sides. Hector gripped them both going up to bed the first night and I watched and did not offer help because he didn't ask for it and because offering help he doesn't ask for has never been the right approach with this man.

Christmas Eve tamales in Las Cruces again. This is the original, this is the source. Mom's kitchen, the turquoise walls, the window over the sink. Hector at his stool, less able to direct now because he tires faster, but present — present in the way that counts, his eyes tracking the process, his hands occasionally reaching to adjust something, his voice steady when he says "more salt in the masa." I write down everything he says. I have a notebook dedicated to his kitchen instructions. It's about forty pages now.

Christmas morning the twins were up at six-fifteen. A new record for lateness that I attribute to genuine maturation and to Elena having read until midnight. Hector came out to the tree slowly, holding the wall in the hallway, and sat in his chair. The twins were on him immediately. He held them both and I watched my father hold my children and I thought: this is the whole of it. Everything I've done and will do is in service of moments like this one. He looked up and found me watching and he nodded at me once. I nodded back. We've had that conversation a hundred times in our lives. We'll keep having it for as long as we can.

The tamales are the centerpiece, but posole is the bowl that holds the night together — it’s on the stove while the masa is being spread, it’s what you eat standing up in the kitchen before anyone sits down. Hector’s voice saying “more salt in the masa” is in my notebook, and so is everything he’s ever told me about this posole — the green chile ratio, the way the hominy should feel when it’s right, how long is long enough. I make it now the way he showed me, which means I make it the way Las Cruces makes it, which is the only way that counts.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 30 min | Total Time: 1 hr 50 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 lbs pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (15 oz each) hominy, drained and rinsed
2 cups roasted New Mexico green chiles, peeled, seeded, and chopped (fresh or frozen)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Juice of 1 lime
Garnish: shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, diced white onion, fresh cilantro, dried oregano, lime wedges

Instructions

Brown the pork. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the pork cubes on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Soften the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to the same pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant.
Build the base. Return the browned pork to the pot. Add green chiles, chicken broth, water, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
Simmer low and slow. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pork begins to soften.
Add the hominy. Stir in the drained hominy. Continue to simmer uncovered for another 30–40 minutes, until the pork is fully tender and the broth has deepened in flavor.
Finish and adjust. Stir in lime juice. Taste and adjust salt as needed — this is the step Hector always says matters most. The posole should be savory, bright, and just a little sharp from the chiles.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and set out garnishes so everyone can finish their own bowl the way they like it.

Nutrition (per serving)

Green Chile Posole — The Christmas Eve Table That Holds Everything Together