Wholly holy molé frijole posole

This is not the traditional New Mexico posole recipe, but one based on my original (Posole Mio above) and improved over several winter holiday seasons, serving family, ex-family, extended family, and friends. The portions below provide 8 to 10 servings, but there are seldom leftovers, even with a smaller crowd. The distinction between HMFP and WMFP is explained elsewhere†; one preparing this dish would do well to observe the difference.

You will have to make it once or twice to gauge it against the appetites of your kith, kin, and other invited ilk. It can mostly be prepared ahead of time.

• 2 lb pork, cut up in bite-size pieces
• 1 lb hot pork sausage, or chorizo, likewise cut up
• 1 large onion, diced
• 6 to 8 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 cups chicken broth, or more to give consistency desired
• 1 cube vegetable bouillon
• 2 lb posole (nixtamal), cooked (or use canned white hominy)
• 2 lb libbity^* beans, cooked
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes
• 4 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 2 large carrots, diced or julienne
• 2 cans green chile, diced
• 1 Poblano chile, julienne
• 1 yellow bell pepper, julienne
• 2 oz pimiento, sliced
• 1 tsp fajita sauce (or use liquid smoke)
• ½ tsp dried leaf oregano
• ½ tsp dried leaf thyme
• ½ tsp powdered coriander
• ½ tsp powdered cumin

• 1 oz molé Poblano paste or powder
• 2 oz fresh cilantro, chopped
• 4 oz garlic chives, fresh, chopped (if you have it)

Brown the pork and sausage. Add onion and garlic, and cook until translucent. Add mushrooms, broth, bouillon cube, dried tomatoes, and posole; cook at low heat for an hour. (This may be prepared ahead of time, up to this point.) Add cooked beans and diced carrot, then simmer 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 10 minutes. If garlic chives (the green tops of the garlic plant) are not available, substitute a clove of garlic, minced, and chopped scallions.

Serve in festive holiday bowls with steamed tortillas on the side.

It is traditional to have a number of optional condiments available, such as

• chopped radish
• leaf oregano
• lemon or lime wedges
• chopped cilantro
• chopped lettuce or cabbage
• diced onion
• sliced avocado
• crumbled queso fresco (or feta)
• tortilla chips

Since this dish has very little heat, provide an additional assortment of additives, such as chopped Serrano, Tabasco® sauce, chipotles in adobo sauce, or the typical chile carribe, which is

chile carribe

• 3 tbsp ground New Mexico hot chile, ground cayenne chile, and/or ground scotch bonnet
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• water, enough to make a medium paste in a blender

Serves 8 to 10 people.