Boys of Cooking

We like hominy. A lot. You may want to cut back the amount of hominy in this recipe by ⅓ if you are not as into it as we are. Before I knew better, I liked canned hominy, but now I avoid it and always use dried. I buy dried “maíz mote” in a section of a local store that specializes in Peruvian foods but looking around you will find it sold under different names.

It’s important you use the ♦ATTN right chili powder. I buy red chili powder that has been ground for use in making red enchilada sauce. It’s commonly sold in 8, 12, or 16 ounce packages and will usually indicate that it’s made from Pueblo or Hatch chilis. It should ♦ATTN have a vibrant red color, as it turns dark and loses flavor as it ages in the cupboard. It is sometimes sold in identified levels of spiciness.

Preparing the Hominy

If you are using dried hominy, soak

• 2 cups dried hominy

overnight in water that covers it by several inches. The next day cook it in a pressure cooker with

• 4 cups water
• 2 tsp salt

for 30 minutes at high pressure and then let the pressure come down naturally. If you prefer to cook it on the stove, use more water and replenish as needed; stovetop cooking will taken 90+ minutes. The hominy should start to soften but as it will cook an additional 45 minutes later in the recipe, it doesn’t need to be super-tender at this stage.

Once the hominy is done cooking, drain the liquid. If you are using canned hominy, instead you will need

3 15-ounce cans of hominy

rinsing it with water and draining it in a colander.

The Rest

Finely chopped

• 2 medium or 1 large onion
• 3 cloves garlic

In a stew pot heat over medium heat

• 1 TBL vegetable oil

Add the finely chopped onions and garlic, along with

• 1 tsp salt

When the onions are translucent and tender, remove them from the pan and set aside. Now make a roux in the same pan, heating

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup flour

And let it cook for a few minutes — it will have a slight color change but needn’t cook until it’s noticeably brown. Add

• ⅓ cup chili powder (see note)

And as soon as you are able to stir that in, use a whisk and gradually add

• 1½ cups boiling water
• 2 cup chicken stock (or 2 cups of water and 1 tsp chicken base)

You will have the basis of the sauce, which will thicken as it heats. Raise the heat and add

• 6 chicken thighs, skinned and trimmed of any visible fat
• 1½ tsp oregano
• 1½ tsp salt

as well as the hominy and the cooked onion/garlic mixture. Stir a bit, making sure the chicken pieces are submerged. Bring it to a simmer and then be sure to ♦ATTNturn down the heat to the lowest setting and cover. After 20 minutes, stir the pot and make sure to flip over the chicken pieces. Cover and let cook for 20 more minutes.

Adjust the salt level and check the consistency of the sauce. Sometimes I need to make a little more roux (1 TBL oil/1TBL flour) and work it into the sauce by adding some sauce to the roux and then when it’s smooth, stirring it into the large pot. Other times this isn’t necessary. Serve with Sadie’s Spanish Rice and refried beans.