Erik suggests ways to 'celebrate' Ramadan. Here is a recipe that I think might be appropriate.
Posole is a traditional Christmas dish in New Mexico, and there are probably as many posole recipes in New Mexico as there are paella recipes in Andalusia. Here is mine.
Green Chile Posole
3 to 4 lbs pork meat with bones (ribs, necks, chops, whatever is plentiful and priced right)
season meat with salt, 4 – 6 cloves garlic, 1-2 chopped onions, etc. Place in roasting pan and cook in 375° F oven for 1 – 2 hours or until browned and starting to get crunchy.
While this is cooking, measure out 2 cups of dried posole corn. (Posole corn is dried corn that has been treated with lime. I have a friend who ships it to me from New Mexico. I hear you can also mail order it.) Pick over and rinse. Put corn into crockpot. Cover with 4 cups of stock or water. Add in 1 cup roasted and peeled green chiles and a couple tomatillos (or one 10 oz can Old El Paso green chile enchilada sauce) and start cooking on low.
When meat is ready, dump it and all its juices into the crockpot with the posole. Deglaze the roasting pan with 2 cups hot water or stock. You could also use some white wine if you want. Get all the crunchy stuff that sticks, this adds lots of flavor.
Cook at least 8 hours on low, until meat is falling apart. (I have been known to let it cook for 24 hours) Shred the meat and pick out the bones before serving. If needed, add more stock or water while cooking, but not too much. When done, the posole should be chewy but not mushy. The soup should be more of a stew than a broth.
Serve with tortillas if desired. Some will also have lime wedges on the table to squeeze into the soup.
Cheaters version: Mix one can green chile enchilada sauce, one can hominy, cooked shredded pork and canned chicken stock to taste. Season with garlic and onion if needed. Heat through. Not nearly as good as the above recipe!
Recommended accompaniments:
Beer or Tequila based alcoholic beverages
Limeade and iced tea for designated drivers.
