There are flood warnings all over Los Angeles today, so after a soaking trip to the farmer’s market and a mid-day trip to the South Bay for dim sum with my parents, we decided to hole up inside with the dogs.

March Madness for Paco, and pozole-making for me!

I usually use Tori Ritchie’s recipe for New Mexican-style turkey pozole, but after watching someone make pozole with a puree of onions, garlic, and herbs on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, I had to incorporate that technique into my recipe. (I was unable to find the exact recipe online, unfortunately.)  I loved the idea of a fresher, more onion-y flavor. After some internet research, I have found that this technique is most commonly used in pozole verde, which also incorporates tomatillos and jalapenos, but I decided to use it in my pozole rojo anyway.  The result was delicious, and perfect for a stormy afternoon.

Pozole

2-3 turkey drumsticks (2 1/2 lbs)
kosher salt
pepper
1 T vegetable oil
4 c water
2 c chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano
1 T New Mexico chili powder
1 onion, diced
1 T fresh oregano
4 cloves garlic
1 32 oz can hominy, rinsed and drained

Garnish:
shredded green cabbage
red onion, finely chopped
radishes, sliced
cilantro
fried corn tortillas or chips
avocado
lime

Rinse the turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Season thoroughly with kosher salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and brown, making sure that the turkey releases from the bottom of the pan before you try to flip it. Brown the turkey on all sides.

Add the water to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the bay leaf, New Mexico chili, dried oregano, and some additional salt, and allow to simmer for an hour and a half, until the turkey meat is falling off the bone.

Meanwhile, place the onion, garlic, fresh oregano, and one cup of the turkey’s cooking liquid into a blender. Blend until the mixture is a chunky liquid.

When the turkey is cooked, remove it from the pot and leave it on a plate to cool.

Pour the onion puree into the soup pot and continue to simmer for 30 more minutes. When the turkey is cool enough to handle, shred the meat and discard the skin and bones. Add the turkey meat and the rinsed hominy to the pot, and bring everything back to a simmer.

Serve with all of the garnishes on the side so that people can create their own perfect bowl pozole. Personally, I like LOTS of lime, onion, and cilantro, a few chips, and a few pieces of avocado.  Buen provecho!