Pozole Verde with Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 quarts water (might need one more quart later, depending on your taste)
- 1 whole chicken cut into sections (you can also use 3lbs pork butt or shoulder meat instead of chicken)
- 2 1/2 lbs tomatillos (peeled and cut into halves)
- 1 large white onion, cut into quarters (root ends removed)
- 4 jalapenos, sliced (seeds and veins removed)
- 5 large garlic cloves, roasted
- 2 tbsp chicken bouillon
- 2 tbsp garlic salt
- 2 tsp ground oregano (or 1/4 cup fresh chopped oregano)
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 large can of Mexican style hominy
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped and packed
Instructions
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Begin by cutting up the whole chicken into about 8 pieces. Boil the chicken over medium heat in about 16 cups of water until fully cooked. If you’re using pork meat, it will take about 1 1/2 – 2 hours to cook the meat on medium heat. Skim off the excess fat that rises to the top of the water every so often.
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Once you’ve started cooking the chicken, in a small pan start roasting the garlic cloves (with skin on) on medium-low heat until they are golden brown and toasted on the outside but soft in the inside when pressed between two fingers. Remove the paper skin when done roasting.
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Remove the chicken from the pot when it’s done and set it aside to cool in another bowl.
Add the chopped tomatillos, onion, peeled roasted garlic, and jalapeños to the chicken broth and bring to a low simmer. Cook them for about 25 minutes or until the jalapeños are soft enough to easily mash with a spoon or fork.
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While the veggies and garlic are simmering in the broth water, prepare the chicken by removing the bones and shredding it into bite-size pieces. This step is optional. Some people like leaving the bones in soups, some people don’t like to fuss with getting their hands dirty. Bone in, bone out, it’s up to you.
After the veggies and garlic have finished boiling and are now soft and mushy, blend everything well with a hand blender in the pot. Be careful!
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When done blending, drain the water from the can of hominy and pour the hominy into the soup.
Add the chicken bouillon, garlic salt, regular salt, and oregano and stir well.
Bring it back to a low simmer and taste to see if you feel it needs a little more water. Cook another 20-25 minutes.
After the hominy and seasonings have simmered, add the cilantro and the cooked chicken. Give everything one more good stir and let it continue cooking just until the chicken is back to the same temperature as the liquid. About 5 minutes oughta do it, then turn off the heat.
Serve hot with chopped cabbage, warm tortillas, tortilla chips, or homemade baked tortilla strips.