Pozole Verde

Step 1

Pull off the husks of the tomatillos and give them a good rinse. I usually de-stem them but this is optional. Add the tomatillos to a roasting pan along with the rinsed poblanos and roast them in the oven at 400F. I usually flip the poblanos over after 15-20 minutes, and if the tomatillos are disintegrating you can take them out of the oven at this point. The poblanos will need about 30 minutes total to fully roast.

Step 2

Add the two chicken breasts to a pan and cover with 2 quarts of stock.  Be sure there is enough liquid to submerge the chicken breasts.  I also added 1/2 onion, 10 sprigs cilantro, a pinch of salt, and some freshly cracked black pepper but these are optional.   Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook the chicken until no longer pink inside, about 20 minutes.  Once cooked, set the chicken aside to cool on a plate and then shred using two forks.   Save the cooking liquid.

Step 3

Add the remaining green sauce ingredients to a blender: 1 peeled onion, 2 de-stemmed and rinsed jalapenos, 4 peeled garlic cloves, and 1/2 bunch of rinsed cilantro. I usually just twist off and discard the bottom, thicker portions of the cilantro but use the upper stems that hold the leaves together.

Step 4

Once the poblanos have fully roasted, remove them from the oven and let them cool down for a few minutes. Pull off and discard as much of the skin as you can. De-stem and de-seed them. I find it easiest to cut off the tops and then make a slit lengthwise. Open up the pepper and use the knife to scrape out the veins and seeds.

Step 5

Add the poblanos and tomatillos to the blender and combine well with the other ingredients. You might have to blend half first to get all of it to fit into a single blender.

Step 6

Add a dollop of oil to saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the green sauce from the blender and cook for a few minutes.

Step 7

Drain and rinse 2 cans of hominy.  If you want a soupier version then use only a single can.  Add the hominy to the green sauce.

Step 8

Add the shredded chicken to the pan along with the chicken cooking liquid (I gave the cooking liquid a quick strain to remove the onion and cilantro bits).   We'll also add 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and some freshly cracked black pepper.  You can always add additional liquid at this point if you want a thinner version (stock or water).

Step 9

Let simmer for 15 minutes or until the hominy is heated through.  Take a final taste for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary.

Step 10

Serve immediately with a squeeze of lime.  You can optionally serve it with a cheese quesadilla.  Simply add cheese to half of a flour tortilla and fold onto itself.  Cook in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until both sides are crispy and golden brown.

Step 11

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.