Jackfruit Pozole

Pozole is a traditional Mexican stew typically made with pork or chicken and hominy. For this recipe, I swap out the meat for Jackfruit.

Jackfruit is a member of the fig, breadfruit, and mulberry family. It originates from the rainforests of Malaysia and southern India. It is a large spikey green fruit and the largest fruit to come from any tree. It has a very mild flavor, interesting fleshy texture, and is a great substitute for almost any meat recipe. It can be used in savory and sweet recipes, depending on how ripe the fruit it, as it tends to get sweeter as it ripens. If you have never used jackfruit I highly recommend it. Cooking it in a flavorful sauce makes for a satisfying meal.

Hominy is made from dried maize or corn kernels that have been soaked in a lime or lye solution to soften the hulls of the corn. This process causes the kernels to double in size. It's often used to make grits and masa flour, if you have had corn tortillas or grits you've eaten hominy. It's usually very dense and chewy. It can be cooked like you would dried beans. Dried beans, like pinto or black beans, can also be substituted for hominy for this recipe.

3 cups of dried hominy - soaked overnight and cooked for about an hour (canned hominy can be used instead, skip soaking/precooking)

1 large red or sweet onion

5 cloves garlic

3 small sweet peppers

1 chile pepper or jalapeño

10 tomatillos

Juice of one lime

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch of cilantro

28 oz of canned jackfruit

1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes

Spices:

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp epazote

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tsp adobo powder

1 tbsp brown sugar

While preparing your ingredients, make sure to precook the dried hominy - unless you are using canned or substituting dried beans.

Peel and mince the garlic

Peel and chop the onion

Peel and dice the tomatillos

Chop up the peppers and cilantro (save some of the chopped cilantro to top the stew once it's cooked)

Drain the jackfruit and squeeze the chunks into shreds

Open the can of diced tomatoes

Measure out all of your spices

Place all the ingredients into your large pot

Fill the pot with enough water to cover all the ingredients

Bring the Pozole to a boil, cover, and simmer. Continue to simmer the pozole until the hominy is soft (it will be chewy) about 2 +hours. Add more water as needed as it cooks.

Top with shredded cheddar cheese + chopped cilantro. Serve with a wedge of lime and your favorite corn chips.