WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Posole is the Mexican name for both hominy (dried field corn kernels treated with lime and boiled until tender but still chewy) and the full-flavored stew made with it. We decided to create a green chicken posole—a style with a trademark tanginess that comes from tomatillos, jalapeños, and cilantro. Using whole bone-in chicken thighs resulted in easy-to-shred meat, giving our stew a pleasant, rustic texture. We quickly browned the chicken and then sautéed our aromatics after we removed the chicken from the pot, allowing us to incorporate the flavorful browned bits into our broth. When we returned the partially cooked chicken to the pot, we moved the cooking from the stove to the more even, gentle heat of the oven. Adding the tomatillo puree late in the cooking process allowed the flavors to meld without dulling the puree’s bright freshness. Finally, we returned the shredded chicken to the pot to warm briefly before serving the posole. Serve with lime wedges, diced avocado, and/or sliced radishes.
SERVES: 6 to 8
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
- 4½ cups chicken broth
- 12 ounces tomatillos, husks and stems removed, rinsed well and dried, quartered
- 2½ cups fresh cilantro leaves and stems, trimmed (2 bunches)
- 2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, halved, and seeded
- 2 (15-ounce) cans white or yellow hominy, rinsed
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of chicken, about 5 minutes per side; transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining chicken; transfer to plate. Let chicken cool slightly, then discard skin.
- Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot. Add onion and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 4 cups broth, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to simmer. Nestle chicken into pot along with any accumulated juices. Cover, transfer pot to oven, and cook until chicken is tender, about 1 hour.
- Remove pot from oven. Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces using 2 forks; discard bones.
- Meanwhile, process tomatillos, cilantro, jalapeños, and remaining ½ cup broth in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds. Stir tomatillo mixture and hominy into stew, bring to simmer over medium heat, and cook until flavors meld, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in chicken and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
