Christmas Feast

I know. I know. It was the same thing last year. Tamales and pozole for Christmas. But this year the pozole was a miracle and it rocked! What happened was we were at least an hour into our 5-hour trip for Christmas when I realized that in the whole igloo full of food, I hadn't put in pozole from the freezer. Luckily, I had just been looking up ideas for pozole toppings the day before and had read a blurb about making pozole, so it was pretty fresh in my mind. I had also happened to bring along some pork tenderloin I thought we might use in tamales. When we stopped for breakfast we made a quick trip to Food Lion for hominy and oregano. I called my mother in law (who was still at home) and asked her to bring chili powder, garlic, and bouillon.

And it turned out great! What makes the soup scrumptious is all the fresh toppings (which I DID remember to pack) that you add to your bowl when you eat it.

Anita's Throw-it-Together Pozole

1 lb. (more or less) pork tenderloin, cubed
1 29-oz. can white hominiy
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 chicken (or veg) bouillon cubes
water
oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In your soup pot, fry the cubed pork until browned (add a little water if it sticks). Add the garlic and saute a bit. Toss a bit of oregano and chili powder (one tsp. each?) and saute some more. Add hominy, bouillon, and enough water to cover plus some. Stew until ready to eat (and meat is cooked through)--for me, this was pretty much all day. Add more water as needed for the consistency you like. Correct seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. It will taste bland, but serve with the following garnishes for the pizzaz: chopped cilantro; fresh lime; avocado wedges; chopped green onion; sliced radishes; and extra oregano. Get creative with other veggies/herbs you like!