Yes, its that time. Christmas in NM is super special !  The smell of firewood, pinon and the sparkle of fresh snow.  Love to be here this time of year to enjoy the traditions which make this such a special place.

  Great times and food memories linger. I reminisce of spending time with my friends and family eating the best Christmas food around.  The Spanish and Native influence of food here in this place makes it very unique. We eat lots of blue corn and Red chile ladled over mashed potatoes. Green chile enchiladas, tamales, fresh greens with ham hocks and bowls of fresh pork posole topped with cilantro and cabbage!  And of course biscochitos and almond wedding cookies for dessert!  Yummy

In honor of the season and my friend Jayme who has asked me for this recipe a hundred times here is my Red Posole Recipe which I adapted from Foodnetwork:   I cook mine in the crock pot and use frozen pureed red chile from Bueno Foods when I want to savetime….but of course using traditional red chile is a treat:)  Below is the recipe with my adaptations.  Enjoy….and Happy, Merry , Ho, Ho.

Adapted from Food Network

Posole Rojo

Total time 5 hr
Yield:6 to 8 servings   Level:Easy
Ingredients
3/4 cup dried chiles de arbol
4 or 5 dried ancho chiles
6 cloves garlic (2 smashed, 4 finely chopped)  OR Use one 16 oz container of frozen pureed Bueno Red Chile)
Kosher salt
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut in half
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large white onion, chopped
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 bay leaf
3 15 -ounce cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
Diced avocado, shredded cabbage, diced onion, sliced radishes and/or fresh cilantro, for topping

Directions

Traditional  Red Chile  : Use any kind of dried NM Chile Pods. Break the stems off the chiles. Chile de arbol and ancho chiles both work well but you can use any flavor you choose.  Just be sure to shake out as  many seeds as possible!

1. Open and  remove stem and seeds. Put the chiles in a bowl and cover with boiling water; weigh down the chiles with a plate to keep them submerged and soak until soft, about 30 minutes.
2. Transfer the chiles and 1 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid to a blender. Add the smashed garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt and blend until smooth.
3. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pushing the sauce through with a rubber spatula; discard the solids.)

   OR you can  cheat and get frozen red chile from store that comes in a plastic container from Bueno or another brand and use that as your base!

4. Rub the pork all over with the cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt; set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or pot over medium heat.
5. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the chopped garlic and cook 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high.
7. Push the onion and garlic to one side of the pot; add the pork to the other side and sear, turning, until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
8. Stir in 2 cups water, the chicken broth, oregano, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of the chile sauce (depending on your taste).
9. Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Partially cover and cook, turning the pork a few times, until tender, about 3 hours.
   Stir in the hominy and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the pork starts falling apart, about 1 more hour. Remove the bay leaf. Transfer the pork to a cutting board; roughly chop and return to the pot. Add some water or broth if the posole is too thick. Season with salt. Serve with assorted toppings and the remaining chile sauce.
   Delicious!

Food Network.com