Posole In A Crock Pot: Easy, Delicious, And Hearty!

how to cook posole in a crock pot

Slow cooker pork posole is a cheater's version of authentic Mexican posole, a stew made with pork, hominy, onions, garlic, and various toppings. It is a tasty, hearty, and comforting Mexican stew with a deep rich flavor and a warming heat from the earthy chipotles in adobo sauce. The slow cooker is a great way to get the most flavor out of your posole, and you can slowly cook the pork to fork-tender, bringing out all the fantastic flavors in this recipe.

Characteristics Values
Type of Dish Mexican Pork Stew
Main Ingredients Pork, Hominy
Other Ingredients Enchilada Sauce, Onion, Chilli, Garlic, Cayenne Pepper, Oregano, Cilantro, Lime, Avocado, Radishes, Tortilla Strips, Chicken
Cooking Time 3 hours on High or 6 hours on Low
Special Equipment Slow Cooker/Crock Pot

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Preparing the ingredients

Once you have your ingredients, trim any visible fat from the pork and cut it into 1-inch pieces. Season the pork with salt and pepper, or just salt if you prefer. If using chicken, simply season the chicken breast with salt and pepper.

Next, heat some vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork or chicken to the skillet and cook until browned. For pork, this should take about 8-10 minutes, while for chicken, it will take around 8 minutes. Transfer the meat to your crock pot or slow cooker.

If you are using onion and garlic, add another teaspoon of oil to the pan and, once shimmering, add them to the skillet. Sauté until softened, which should take about 6 minutes. You can also add chili powder at this stage if you wish.

Now, it's time to assemble your crock pot. Add the meat, onion, garlic, and any other ingredients you are using, such as bay leaves, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and broth or water. If using enchilada sauce, pour it over the meat and top with the remaining ingredients.

Finally, give everything a good stir to combine, and you're ready to start cooking your posole!

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Cooking the meat

To cook the meat, start by trimming any visible fat from the pork and cutting it into 1-inch pieces. Season the meat with salt and pepper. You can also use boneless ribs, pork shoulder, or pork butt cut into small pieces. If using chicken, simply trim any unwanted parts and cut into pieces.

Next, heat a teaspoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat to the skillet and cook until browned, stirring occasionally. This should take about 8-10 minutes for pork and 8 minutes for chicken. If you are using a lot of meat, you may need to brown it in batches, adding more oil as needed.

Once the meat is browned, transfer it to the crock pot or slow cooker. If using a slow cooker, preheat it to high for about 20 minutes before adding the meat.

At this point, you can add the remaining ingredients to the crock pot or slow cooker and continue with the recipe. However, some recipes call for sautéing the vegetables and spices before adding them to the crock pot. This is an optional step but can add extra flavour to the dish.

If you are using a crock pot, simply add water and spices to the crock pot after adding the meat. Cook on low for 4 hours.

If you are using a slow cooker, you can add the remaining ingredients and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours. The meat should be starting to fall apart. Skim off some of the fat, then add the enchilada sauce and hominy and continue cooking for an additional hour on high or 2 hours on low.

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Making the sauce

The sauce is the key to a tasty posole. It is important to rinse the hominy well before you start, as it is soaked in a brine that can make your soup bitter. You can use store-bought enchilada sauce or make your own. For a homemade sauce, you can use tomatillos, onion, cilantro, ground cumin, oregano, and garlic cloves with one cup of chicken broth, blended until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

If you are using canned chipotles, add three whole chipotles to your sauce. If you are using dried ancho and guajillo chiles, you will need to toast and rehydrate them before adding them to your sauce. You can also add some masa harina or a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce.

Once you have made your sauce, pour it over the meat in the slow cooker. Top with hominy, onion, chilies, garlic, cayenne pepper, and oregano.

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Combining ingredients in the crock pot

To make posole in a crock pot, you'll first need to prepare your ingredients. Trim any visible fat from the pork and cut it into 1-inch pieces. Season the pork with salt and pepper.

Next, heat a teaspoon of vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the pork pieces and cook until browned, which should take around 8-10 minutes. Transfer the browned pork to your crock pot. Add another teaspoon of oil to the pan and, once shimmering, brown the remaining pork.

Now, add the onion, garlic, and chili powder to the skillet and sauté until softened, which should take about 6 minutes. Transfer everything in the skillet to the crock pot, along with 2 cups of broth.

Finally, add the remaining ingredients to the crock pot. This includes water, enchilada sauce, hominy, and any additional spices or seasonings you wish to include.

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Serving

Slow-cooked posole is a hearty, comforting meal that can be served in a variety of ways. The dish is often served in bowls and can be enjoyed on its own, but it is also commonly topped with a variety of garnishes and sides.

Traditional toppings for posole include shredded cheese, crumbled queso fresco, tortilla chips, avocado, radishes, shredded cabbage, cilantro, and lime wedges. Some recipes suggest serving the posole with sides of tortilla strips, sour cream, hot sauce, and cotija cheese, allowing each person to add their desired toppings to their bowl.

For a more substantial meal, posole can be served wrapped in a burrito or taco shell, or with warm tortillas on the side. It can also be served over rice or with a fried egg on top for breakfast.

Leftover posole can be used in a variety of ways, such as a filling for burritos or tacos, or as a topping for rice.

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