HOMINY AND PORK SOUP WITH ARBOL CHILE SAUCE

Hominy and Pork Soup with Arbol Chile Sauce image

Categories Soup/Stew Pepper Pork Hot Pepper Winter Hominy/Cornmeal/Masa Simmer Bon Appétit

Yield Makes 8 to 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

Árbol chile sauce
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 cups dried árbol chiles*, stemmed (about 1 1/2 ounces)
2 cups boiling water
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Soup
3 1/2 pounds pigs' feet (about 4), split, rinsed under cold water, or 3 1/2 pounds meaty pork neck bones
2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces, fat trimmed
1 pound meaty pork neck bones
12 cups water
3 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
8 cups drained canned white hominy (from about five 15-ounce cans)
3 limes, cut into wedges
2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
1 cup chopped white onion
1 cup thinly sliced radishes

Steps:

For árbol chile sauce:
Cook garlic cloves in heavy small skillet over medium-low heat until beginning to soften and blacken in spots, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes. Cool and peel garlic. Transfer to small bowl. Add sesame seeds to same skillet. Stir over medium-low heat until golden, about 6 minutes. Add sesame seeds to same bowl.
Combine chiles and 2 cups boiling water in medium bowl. Let stand until chiles soften and water is cool, about 2 hours. Drain, reserving soaking liquid. Chop chiles and place in blender with seeds. Add 1 cup reserved soaking liquid; puree until almost smooth. Add allspice, garlic, and sesame seeds; puree until smooth, adding more soaking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls to thin puree if desired. Pour puree into strainer set over bowl; press on solids in strainer to extract as much liquid as possible for sauce.
For soup:
Place pigs' feet, boneless pork pieces, and neck bones in very large pot. Add 12 cups water. Bring to boil, skimming any gray foam from surface. Add garlic and salt; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until pork is tender, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Using tongs, transfer pigs' feet, boneless pork pieces, and bones to bowl. Cool.
Pull meat in small chunks from pigs' feet and neck bones; discard bones and cartilage. Shred boneless pork pieces coarsely. Return all meat to broth in pot. Add hominy; simmer soup 20 minutes to blend flavors, skimming any foam from surface. Season soup to taste with more salt. (Sauce and soup can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill sauce. Cool soup slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm soup before serving.)
Ladle soup into bowls. Pass sauce, limes, cabbage, onion, and radishes alongside to add to soup.
*Thin, red, 3-inch-long dried chile that is very hot.