Pork and Hominy Chile with Bacon
Ancho (Ahn-cho) Chile (Capsicum Annum) means Wide Chile Pepper. This chile ranges from 3 – 4 on a heat scale of 1 to 10. An Ancho is the dried form of a Poblano Pepper and often is mislabeled as a Pasilla or Mulato Pepper. Anchos have sweet fruity flavor with hints of cherry, prune, and fig. Anchos, combined with the Pasilla and Guajillo, form the Holy Trinity of chiles used to prepare the traditional mole sauces. Scoville heat units are 1,000 to 3,000.
Suggested Use:
Anchos are great in salsa, soups, enchilada and any sauce needing mild heat and chile flavor. Chopped, pureed or ground, they can be added directly to your recipes.
Ingredients:
4 slices smoked bacon
2 pounds lean pork shoulder, cut into cubes
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
4 cups chicken broth
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) hominy, drained
6 dried ancho chiles
2 cups canned or cooked corn kernels
Instructions:
In a large Dutch oven or heavy kettle over medium heat, fry the bacon slices until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain. Pour off all but 2 Tbsp. of the bacon fat and add the pork cubes. Cook and stir until the pork has browned.
Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is tender. Crumble the bacon and add to the pork mixture along with chili powder, oregano, cumin, chicken broth and hominy. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Wash the ancho chiles and remove the stems and seeds. Cut up the chiles and add to the pork mixture. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours, adding more chicken broth or water as needed. Add the corn and heat through. Serve with flour tortillas.
Recipe courtesy of Diana Rattray, Southern Food and Crockpot Recipes on About.com.