New Years Day Tradition, Pozole

I grew up in Albuquerque New Mexico, and while I'm now firmly transplanted in the Missouri countryside, there are some things that remind me of my childhood home, one of those things is a steaming bowl of pozole on New Years Day! Pozole, or posole (pronounced pah sole ee) is a traditional New Mexican stew made from pork, hominy, and spices that warms the soul.  While many people around the country opt for a meal of indulgence for New Years Eve, often fancier that we eat through most of the year, it's New Years Day when we remember our roots with regional comfort "peasant style" meals.  While many people in Missouri and enjoying black eyed peas and collard greens, my family will be enjoying this New Mexico classic good luck dish.

Last year, I discovered New Years morning that I didn't have any ham, the meat I usually add to the pozole.  I remembered our old next door neighbor Quata, who taught my mom how to cook all things New Mexican.  She told my mom the best meat to use for pozole is whatever you have around. I discovered a pound of spicy pork sausage in the freezer and used that instead of ham.  Quata would have been proud,it was the best pozole I ever made, so I'm sharing that recipe here with you.

Here's a couple of example of the main ingredient, white hominy, or maiz. I usually use three 15.5 oz cans, today 'm adding  an extra 29 oz can since we're having company later, just to bump up the qty a bit.  It's more of an art than a science.

Browning the sausage in my cast iron skillet.

I'm dicing my onions while the sausage cooks...

Sausage goes in the crock pot, then I add the diced onions to the skillet, brown them, and add that to the crock pot as well.

Rotel tomatoes are diced tomatoes with onions and peppers, I use an off brand from Aldi, I also include an extra can of chopped green peppers, delish!

Mincing garlic, feel free to use the jar garlic if you wish.

Toss it all in the pot, stir it up, cook for at least six hours! Easy!  Add some magic, stir clockwise and say a blessing over the pot to bring luck, love, prosperity and health!

Mickie's Easy Magical Crockpot Pozole

Ingredients: (included are the magical correspondences for the ingredients)

1 lb. spicy pork sausage (common pork reminds us of our roots)
1 diced onion (health)
3 15.5 oz cans of white hominy undrained (longevity and abundance)
1 can 10 oz Rotel tomatoes undrained (tomatoes for love and warding off negativity)
1 4 oz can chopped green chilies undrained (vitality and growth)
3 large cloves of garlic, minced (hex breaking, banishing negativity, boosting health)
1/2 package of taco seasoning (made with cayenne and other spices, hex breaking and banishing evil)
salt and pepper to taste (salt for grounding and protection, pepper for banishing evil)

Brown sausage in a skillet and add to the crockpot, then brown the onion in the same pan with the sausage grease. Add the onions to skillet.  Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and cook on low for at least six hours.  Serve hot with optional garnishes of chopped cilantro, lime wedges, extra green peppers, and tortilla chips.

A steaming hot bowl of pozole is a comfort to the soul, and brings good luck on New Years Day that will last all year long!  I wish this computer had smell-o-vision, this is a delight! Enjoy!

Blessed Be!
Mickie