Crock Pot Pozole

Randy came up for the weekend on Friday, an extra-special treat because 1. there was lots of good football last weekend, 2. I was clogging at a festival on Saturday and he'd never seen me with the group in performance, 3. We RARELY get back-to-back weekend visits, so I was happy I would get to see him two weekends in a row! Almost like a normal marriage. Jeffrey was also thrilled he was coming -- Jeffrey absolutely adores Randy! It had also been good weather for the past few days, and I knew it would be a beautiful weekend.

I was right. It was. USF (go BULLS) won on Friday and now are no. 6 in the nation. That makes my sweetie happy, so it makes me happy. Auburn won on Saturday. See Below. The festival was wonderful (I bought some great local honey, and the best treat ever -- hot fried pork rinds, spicy, cooked in a vat and NO GLUTEN.

Friday night, I wanted something easy. I wanted to veg during the day (the boss was away, no faculty meetings, just papers to grade). I got a pound of stew beef and a prime rib roast for Sunday on the markdown tray at Kroger. I came home and made this stew. I'd read about Pozole in a newspaper section, and I thought, well, I'll try it. It was amazing. GREAT comfort food, and so delicious. I'm going to make it with pork next time. The seasoning blend is my own concoction -- I have it the easy way and MY way, with my Penzeys spices. Try it either way.

Pozole is a Mexican/Colombian comfort food. What makes this a Pozole is the addition of the hominy. After I made it, before I named it, I read more about it. I had heard of Pozole, but I'd never eaten it. This is awful close to authentic....

Crock Pot Pozole

Note: This is not a a spicy dish, but if you like spicy food, add the hot Rotel).

2 pounds of lean cubed pork or stew beef (either works, but pork is traditional) You could use individual boneless pork chops too.
2 cans of drained hominy, white or yellow
1 can cubed potatoes
2 cans Rotel with chilis (mild is really mild. We use Spicy
(or any other tomates with green chilis or Chili Style)
1 cup chopped carrots
4 garlic cloves
Optional: One chopped onion

Seasoning:
1 package GF taco sauce
(or 2 t. cumin, 2 t. ancho chili powder, and 1 t. red pepper flakes)
1 package GF ranch style dressing mix (I use Penzeys mix -- 2 T.)
2 T. Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herbs seasoning
1 t. dried oregano

Put meat in the Crock Pot first, then add all the other stuff. Stir it and put on simmer high for five hours, then on simmer low.

Before serving, garnish with grated cheese, pickled jalepeno peppers, a dollop of sour cream, or a squeeze of lime. OR, just serve it as is...

I was astounded how good this was. We had it with GF cornbread, but I'd also serve it with warmed GF corn tortillas or chips.

***************************

Of special note for me today. On this day in 1991, I was diagnosed formally and officially as a type II diabetic. While I've only gotten very precise with this in the last 18 months, I mark the date because it changed the course of my life forever. I don't want to blog about how horrible I felt, or how depressed I became, or how scared I was -- just that, to loosly quote the musical Rent, I'm living with it, not dying from it, God willing.

Much love, and happy fall day to you!

Ging