This dish is a northern New Mexico tradition that comes from the Pueblo tribes. It is traditionally served on New Year’s Day to bring luck in the coming year. I grew up in Los Alamos, N.M., and have eaten this nearly every New Year’s since I was about 5 years old. Yes, that’s a long time. This is my recipe, modified greatly from my mother’s, which she got from the San Ildefonso Pueblo sometime in the 1960s.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
6 cloves garlic, pressed
1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into small pieces (I prefer pork tenderloin because it is very low fat. The pork is optional – for a vegetarian version, add 1 cup cooked brown rice and 1 can black beans when you add the hominy)
1 carton (32 ounces) vegetable broth
2 tablespoons red chili powder
2 cans (4 ounces) diced green chiles (preferably Hatch green chiles from New Mexico, available sometimes at Trader Joe’s)
1 can (15 ounces) white hominy, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) yellow hominy, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste
Limes, cut into wedges
Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Sour cream
Flour tortillas
Directions:
Heat oil in large stockpot. Add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are tender.
Add pork, vegetable broth, red chili powder and green chiles. Simmer over medium-low heat for one hour, stirring occasionally.
Add both cans of hominy. Simmer over low heat for another hour. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Pour into serving bowls and have lime wedges, grated cheese and sour cream available at the table. The perfect bowl: A dollop of sour cream, a generous squeeze of lime juice and a generous sprinkling of cheddar. Serve with warm tortillas.
