Pozole Verde con Pavo

Pozole verde is a Mexican soup that uses a salsa verde as a base, flavored here with turkey pieces and hominy. The brightness of the salsa helps the corn flavor shine, and works incredibly well with the turkey. You can use chicken, or beef, or pork, as it suits protein you can get your hands on. In this recipe, I’m going to use the salsa verde I’ve posted previously as the base, thickened with water that the turkey was braised in.

Adding pepitas helps to thicken salsa and toasting them adds another layer of flavor within a textural component reason, just make sure to skip this step if you buy them already roasted. To toast, cook in a preheated pan for only a few minutes, until lightly browned snd fragrant. Add them to a blender

Broiling the tomatillos, peppers, onions, and whole spices helps to release their smoky depth the most. After broiling on both sides, blend them with the pepitas, fresh garlic, and large handful of cilantro to finish your salsa verde. Adding the chipotle chilies in adobo here is optional.

At this step, I’ll taste it and adjust the spice by adding onions, peppers, or sweet ingredients to balance the spice. White sugar works just fine to lower spice level, without significantly altering the taste. You can use any sweetener you have, such as agave nectar or honey, to balance spice.

Searing the turkey releases the best flavor, and starches in the pepitas will help to absorb any excess oil. Deglaze the pan with either water or stock. I use 1-2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon paste here.

Add a few large sprigs of epazote(if using), dried Mexican oregano, and aromatics. Return turkey to the Dutch oven, and cook in the oven until it is tender.

Remove turkey from oven and set aside. Add braising fluids to blender and blend until smooth. I prefer for my pozole to be on the thicker side, like a vegetable soup, rather than a broth.

In the same Dutch oven, without washing the pan, heat a tablespoon of oil until smoking. the liquid leftover will have browned on the bottom, but should not be black. Add the salsa all at once, stirring vigorously and with a pan shield. Seriously it will splatter.

Add the drained hominy and turkey back to the pot, simmer for around 30 minutes and you’re done! To garnish, use queso blanco, queso cotija, or other crumbly cheese, fresh cilantro, thinly sliced peppers and white onions.

The Recipe:

• 1 1/2 pounds, tomatillos, papery skin removed

• 2 Poblano peppers, stem removed

• 4-6 Serrano peppers

• 1 jalapeños

• 1 New Mexican pepper

• 7 oz pepitas

• 1 onion for the salsa, plus one half for braising the chicken

• 8 cloves garlic, plus 2 for braising chicken

• 2 tablespoons Mexican oregano

• 2 14-oz cans of hominy

• 2-3 lbs of turkey

• Large handful of cilantro

• 6 cups of water or chicken broth

• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, whole, or 1 tablespoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds

• juice of 1 whole lime

Some flavorful, but entirely optional additions:

• 1-2 tablespoon cooked soffrito, to the blender with the salsa

• A few sprigs of epazote, which can be hard to find, braised with the chicken, and removed before blending the salsa.

• Chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, added to the blender with a few more tablespoons of sauce

• Hatch chili season is almost upon us…. I think I’ll be posting a tutorial on preserving them soon

• Avocado makes for a nice topping, cubes and added to the bowl. I like to add a lot. Like a lot a lot.

• Crumbling cheese, like queso fresco

Preheat the broiler and move the oven rack to its highest point. Add 1 large onion, whole peppers, coriander and cumin seeds, and broil 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway until blackened. Add to a blender. Reduce oven to 325 F

Begin by toasting the pepitas in a Dutch oven, about 4 minutes, and add to the blender with 8 cloves of garlic. Prepare turkey for searing by removing the skin and patting very dry with paper towels. Salt and pepper heavily. Heat oil until lightly smoking, and brown the turkey on all sides. Deglaze pan with water or stock, add half an onion, 2 cloves garlic, and a heavy pinch of salt. Add epazote if using. Bring to a boil and cook until turkey is very tender, but not falling apart and stringy, about 3 hours.

Remove epazote. Add braising liquids and 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, with a few spoonfuls of the sauce to the blender( if using) and blend until smooth. Remove turkey and shred. Without washing the Dutch oven, heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil until smoking, and add the salsa all at once, stirring constantly with the lid as a shield. It will splatter. Add canned hominy to soup base, taste for salt, and simmer for 25 mins. Add turkey snd simmer for 5 more.

Top with avocado, Thinly sliced peppers, white onions, and a crumbling white cheese