Saturday, November 7, 2009
Wine and Beer Gift Wrap
Posole Rojo
Posole Rojo
12 oz. dried posole or hominy
6-8 dried ancho chiles
1 onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. oregano
Salt to taste
2-3 lbs. pork shoulder cut in 1 1/2" cubes - less
Juice of 1 lime
Put dried posole into non-reactive bowl or Dutch oven and cover with water. Soak overnight. Drain posole and put back in Dutch oven in enough salted water to cover. Bring to boil and simmer for at least 2 hours until softened.
Remove seeds, ribs and stems from chiles and tear into large pieces. Place in heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water. After half an hour, when chiles are soft and somewhat cooled, drain them, reserving the liquid. Put chiles, onion, oregano and garlic in bowl of food processor and process, adding reserved chile-soaking liquid to make it a thick sauce. Season to taste with salt.
Add meat and chile sauce to cooked hominy in Dutch oven and stir to combine, adding more chile-soaking liquid or water if needed. Bring to a boil on the stove, lower heat and simmer for two hours or until meat can be mashed with a wooden spoon. Stir in lime juice.
Ideas to serve with Posole: diced onion, sour cream, sliced avocado, shredded cheese, cotija cheese, shredded lettuce.
Watermelon Margarita

FOR THE WATERMELON-INFUSED TEQUILA:
1 medium-size seedless watermelon
1 750-ml bottle of silver tequila
FOR THE MARGARITA:
4 oz. of the watermelon-infused tequila
2 oz. frozen limeade
2 cubes of the infused watermelon
1 1⁄2 oz. Cointreau or Triple Sec
Watermelon
Watermelon wedges
1. For the infused tequila, cut a watermelon into 1" cubes (rind removed) until you have roughly 2 lbs. of fruit. Transfer to a glass jar, pour in tequila, seal jar, and let steep for 2 days.
2. To make drinks, combine the watermelon-infused tequila, 2 cups crushed ice, frozen limeade, infused watermelon, and Cointreau in a blender. Purée until slushy. Garnish with watermelon wedges.
Serves 2

