A New Stew

There are an infinite number of soup and stew recipes out there, yet somehow each winter I end up eating my weight in chili and chicken noodle (not complainin', just sayin'...). That's why this Mexican-inspired simple stew recipe was such a fun find.

You can find great deals on pork now and then at the grocery store, so this is an inexpensive meal, but the spices and slow simmering process gives it a rich, deep flavor.

It calls for using pork tenderloin. No need. Find a sale on some nice looking center-cut boneless pork chops and use those instead if you want to keep the price down. Just account for a longer simmering time to ensure the pork softens and breaks down ensuring that it's falling apart nicely  before eaten.

Here it is:

Ancho Pork and Hominy Stew

Ingredients
2  tablespoons  ancho chile powder
2  teaspoons  dried oregano
1 1/2  teaspoons  smoked paprika
1  teaspoon  ground cumin
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1 1/2  pounds  pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1  tablespoon  olive oil, divided
2  cups  chopped onion
1 1/2  cups  chopped green bell pepper
1  tablespoon  minced garlic
2 1/2  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1  (28-ounce) can hominy, drained
1  (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

Preparation

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; set 1 1/2 teaspoons spice mixture aside. Add pork to remaining spice mixture in bowl, tossing well to coat.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork mixture to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove pork from pan; set aside. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Return pork to pan. Add reserved 1 1/2 teaspoons spice mixture, broth, hominy, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes.

The result is a rich, but not too rich, spicy stew. I've stated my love for hominy before and a pork-based stew is a nice change from ground beef.

Jalapeno corn bread makes a great accompaniment.