Classic Chicken Posole Verde
Classic Chicken Posole Verde – Posole is the Mexican name for both hominy (dried field corn kernels treated with lime and boiled until tender but still chewy) and the stew made with hominy and meat. Create a green posole – a style that calls for cilantro, jalapenos, and tomatillos-with chicken.
Using whole bone-in chicken thighs resulted in easy-to-shred meat, giving the stew a pleasant, rustic texture. Quickly browned the chicken and then sautee the aromatics after removing the chicken from the pot -this allows the Classic Chicken Posole Verde to incorporate the flavorful browned bits into the broth.
Return the partially cooked chicken to the pot, move the cooking from the stove to the more even, gentle heat of the oven. Once the chicken is tender, set it aside before stirring in the hominy.
To give the stew its characteristic tanginess, make a vibrant puree of tomatillos, jalapenos, and fresh cilantro. Adding this mixture late in the cooking process allows the flavors to meld without dulling the puree’s freshness.
Finally, shred the chicken to the pot to warm briefly before serving the Classic Chicken Posole Verde. Serve with lime wedges, diced avocado, and/or sliced radishes.
Classic Chicken Posole Verde Recipe
Classic Chicken Posole Verde Recipe
SERVES 6 to 8
Classic Chicken Posole Verde Cooking Instructions
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat 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. Let cool slightly; discard skin.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot; add onion and . 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 browned 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, and let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, process tomatillos, jalapenos, cilantro, and remaining 1/2cup 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.
Using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces; discard bones.
Stir shredded chicken into stew and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
Season the Classic Chicken Posole Verde with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Classic Chicken Posole Verde 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
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
12 ounces tomatillos, husks and stems removed, rinsed well, dried, and quartered
2 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, halved, and seeded
2 1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and stems, trimmed (2 bunches)
2 (15-ounce) cans white or yellow hominy, rinsed
