Typically, stew takes a few hours to cook because moist heat is needed to tenderize the meat traditionally used in stew. However, from start to finish, Ancho Pork and Hominy Stew from Cooking Light, cooks in less than one hour. This is because this stew starts with an already tender cut of meat, a pork tenderloin. The pork is seasoned with spices resembling Mexican pork stew, Posole, with ancho chile powder at center stage. Ancho chile powder can be found in many grocery stores but can also be made at home. For DIY ancho chile powder, purchase dried whole ancho chiles (2 ounce package yields 1/4 cup powder). Slit peppers with a paring knife, and shake out seeds. Remove stem. Tear skin into 1 inch pieces. Using a coffee grinder, place pieces into a coffee grinder and process until finely ground (you may have to process in batches). Store in airtight container until ready to use.
Ancho Pork and Hominy Stew (serves 4-6)
©myplate2yours 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder 2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt 1-1/2 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1/2inch pieces 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 large onion, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2-1/2 cups chicken stock 1-28 ounce can hominy, drained 1-15 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Shredded Mexican cheese, as desired Combine chile powder, oregano, paprika, cumin and salt in a bowl. Set 11/2 teaspoons aside. Toss pork pieces into spice mix. Coat evenly. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add pork and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the meat is browned and fragrant. Remove pork from pan. Add remaining olive oil. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté 5 minutes until tender. Return pork to pan. Add broth, hominy, tomatoes and reserved spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and partially cover to simmer for 25 minutes. Serve with cheese, if desired, and garnish with cilantro. Enjoy! Adapted from www.CookingLight.com