Vegan Pozole Verde to Warm Your Bones

Directions

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1. Rinse the corn in a colander to remove any debris or chaff.

2. Pour the corn into a large nonreactive pot and add the cal directly into the pot. (You can also pre-mix a slurry of cal and water and add to the water to ensure even distribution.) Add just enough water to cover the corn by 4 inches [10 cm] and stir everything together with a spatula to evenly incorporate.

3. Cover the pot (optional; however, it helps to get to temperature faster) and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium for a simmer. Using a fine-mesh sieve, skim any unwanted kernels or particles that float to the surface and discard.

4. Cook the corn for about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the varietal stirring every 5 minutes or so to keep the corn from sticking and to keep the cal well distributed. Check a kernel for done-ness using the following method:
   -Remove a kernel and rub it between your fingers. You want the skin to easily slide off.
   -Taste a kernel. When it’s ready, it will be tender, but still quite al dente (like a boiled peanut or roasted cashew) with a firm chalky center.

5. Continue cooking if necessary, checking every 5 minutes, until the skins are loosened and you have reached the desired texture and flavor. Remove from the heat and cover the pot. Let the pot sit undisturbed for 6 to 12 hours.

6. Drain the steeped corn, now called nixtamal, into a colander. Rinse, massage, and agitate the nixtamal vigorously until no skins remain.

7. Fill a separate pot with enough water to cover the nixtamal with about 2 in [5 cm] of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to a simmer (medium-high heat). Add the rinsed nixtamal and cook until it softens to your desired texture (between 2 and 6 hours).

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1. Toast all spices and grind them to a fine powder using a spice grinder or Molcajete.

2. The tomatillo and poblano and garlic can either be boiled OR charred on a Comal (my preference). You’ll then need to peel the peppers, but leave the charred skin on the tomatillos and garlic. 

3. Place all of the ingredients into a blender and pulse until it looks and has the consistency of a thick salsa. Use water if it needs to be thinned out but don’t thin it out too much as it should be a thicker consistency. 

4. Season with salt and lime to your taste. Add more serrano if you want it spicier. 

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1. Next, sauté the vegetables in some type of fat. I use grapeseed oil but you can use any neutral fat.

2. Once the vegetables start to soften (but aren’t fully soft!) add the nixtamalized corn with all of the cooking liquid. I like my vegetables to still have a bite to them, so I don’t let them cook too far or else they’ll be mushy. 

3. If the pot needs more liquid, add just enough for all of the ingredients to be submerged in liquid. Don’t overdo it or the pozole will be too soupy and loose. 

4. Let this simmer for 15-20 minutes. 

5. Add your green base to the pozole and let it simmer for 5-20 minutes depending on how much more you want to cook the vegetables and if you want to reduce the pozole more or less. 

6. Season with salt and lime to your taste. 

7. It’s perfectly good to serve it the day of, but I like to let it sit for a night before eating it to allow the flavors to develop.

8. Make sure you have your tostadas, sliced cabbage, radishes, diced onion, cilantro and lime ready to go, and let people garnish their own!