Pozole from the Pueblo
Bill Acosta of Tortugas Pueblo shares his recipe with us
Bill and I met at Chala’s Wood Fired Grill in Mesilla, New Mexico early into my Rio Grande project. “The red chile is the Tortugas Pueblo recipe, shared by the owner’s grandmother,” he tells me, and I order the stacked enchiladas with red sauce. When they arrive, and I take my first bite, I realize I’m tasting the dirt and history that define this place. It’s the best red sauce I’ve ever had.
After lunch, Bill, who’s the Tortugas presidente at the time, takes me for a tour of the Pueblo nearby. It’s still pandemic times and quiet on-site, but we walk around, and he tells me stories, shares his history. Janie is with me still, and this is more than half a year before cancer-life will chip away at who I’ve known myself to be. It’s three years ago this month.
Before we leave, Bill blesses us with cornmeal and red clay, eagle to bear, and sends us to the eastern slope of the Organ Mountains, where the Tularosa Basin—in which his ancestors walked more that 20,000 years ago, and the first nuclear bomb was detonated less than one hundred years ago—will spread before us. Plutonic rocks formed 18 million years ago with the collapse, tilt, and uplift of the Organ caldera, a cooled magma chamber, manifest now as exquisite peaks and will hug our backs while we camp.
I have no idea at the time how important Bill and his blessings will become to me as the subsequent, existentially challenging years unfold. I am just happy in the sun, with my dog, a belly full of red chile, and a new friend. Which begins to hint at why and how I am so thrilled to share Bill’s pozole recipe with you this week.
The recipe’s backbone is, of course, red sauce, but the Tortugas recipe is too secret to share, and so, Bill offers us a workable alternative. Cook it for yourself and your loved ones, and hug each other tight. “It’s a very ancient indigenous meal.”
Big love, Ashley
Bill’s Pozole
Well, here is how I make my pozole, (can be spelled posole too).
It's pretty simple to make, not much to it. Just not sure if the red chile is available throughout the country. My mom used to make it without the red chile for the kiddos.
There are other ways, like you can make the red chile puree fresh from the dry chile pods. Also, there is another hominy that is rawer and in a bag. This takes much longer. They use this up in northern New Mexico from Belen up.
Another added option for some, is to put in hamhocks, pork feet, or bones during the initial boiling process.
Good luck and many blessings, Bill
Editor’s Note: Red chile is prepared throughout the year in Tortugas and served at fundraisers, work days, and ceremonial gatherings.
Ingredients
This is a simple dish with very few ingredients.
3 lb. pork butt or shoulder, marbling is good, cut into 2” pieces
Salt to taste
1 large yellow onion, quartered or you can use onion powder to taste
A few cloves garlic, minced or sliced, you can use garlic powder/salt to taste
4 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. cumin
1 bay leaf
2-14oz frozen red chile puree, “Bueno” or “Blue Ribbon” brands are excellent. You can use mild, medium, or hot according to your taste. You can also use only one 14oz container of the red chile. Again depends on your preference and taste.
2-15-oz. cans white hominy, drained, rinsed. Any brand will work, but I like “Juanita’s” brand.
Primary garnish toppings are optional like diced white onion, dry crushed oregano, quartered lime slices. You can also include other toppings such as thinly sliced radishes, thinly sliced green cabbage, chopped fresh cilantro or red pepper flakes, for serving.
Directions
In a large pot over medium heat, combine pork, onion, garlic, broth, cloves, cumin, bay leaf and salt. Add enough water to cover pork around two inches. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium-low to a simmer. Cook for around 1 hour 30 minutes, skimming foam off top as needed.
Add red chile puree and rinsed hominy to pot with pork. Cover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until pork is very tender, around 15 to 30 minutes more; season with salt as required.
Top pozole with radishes, cabbage, and cilantro.
Eat with small buns like a “white bolillo” or heated corn tortillas.
ENJOY!
Dig in for more goodness…
To learn more about FED’s entire Spring 2024 all-star line-up of musicians, artists, writers, growers, gleaners, cooks, and craftspeople, check out Special Guests. And, for more pozole, be sure to check out Shaun Griffin’s “The Dinner Party.”
Who’s washing dishes?
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