GAME-DAY POSOLE

Posole (poh-soh-lay) is a thick Mexican soup featuring hominy (dried corn) and chile powder. “It’s such a wonderful, filling dish and great game-day food,” says Zimmern. Look for dried hominy in Mexican or Central American markets and in many supermarkets (with other grains or in the Latin foods aisle; Zimmern recommends Rancho Gordo). The full cup of ground red chile powder gives this posole a vivid red hue and zippy flavor. You can find ground New Mexico chile, a mild variety, in many supermarkets and Latin markets, and Zimmern says ancho chile also works well. He recommends citrusy Mexican oregano (McCormick offers a variety), which is less sweet than the more common European variety. Place 3 cups dried hominy in a large container; cover with cold water. Refrigerate 24 hours. Drain; reserve.

Trim a 3 lb pork shoulder; cut into 1½-inch cubes. Season with salt and freshly ground black

pepper. Heat 3 Tbsp canola oil in a large (8-quart) pot over medium until smoking. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding pan, brown pork on all sides 5–7 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate. Add 2 large minced yellow

onions to pot; sauté 3–5 minutes or until golden. Add 1 diced fennel bulb and 1 minced serrano chile; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in 6 halved garlic cloves; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup mild red chile powder (or a mix of mild and hot), 3 Tbsp dried mint, 3 Tbsp Mexican oregano and 2 Tbsp ground

cumin; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in 2 cups halved fresh tomatillos, 1 cup crushed tomatoes, 3 Tbsp minced chipotle chiles canned

in adobo and pork. Add 4 quarts chicken stock; bring to a simmer. Stir in hominy; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. Cook 2½ hours, stirring every 30 minutes or until pork is almost tender and hominy is chewy (most of the kernels will have burst open). Season and continue to cook 15–30 minutes or until pork is fork-tender. Add more stock or water, if needed (posole should be looser than stew, but not as thin as brothy soup). Serve in bowls topped with minced red onion, cilantro leaves, diced avocado and quartered limes. Serves 8–10.

For game-day entertaining, Zimmern often sets the pot of cheese directly on the fireplace hearth to stay warm, with the dippers and fondue forks arranged on a platter. Rub inside of a heavy-bottomed pot with cut sides of 1 garlic clove; discard garlic. Add 1 cup dry white wine and 1 Tbsp lemon juice; bring to a simmer over medium. Working in batches, stir in 8 oz grated Gruyère

cheese, 8 oz grated Emmental cheese, 4 oz grated Appenzeller cheese (or fontina or raclette) and 4 tsp cornstarch. Don’t allow cheeses to boil; be sure each cheese is fully melted and incorporated before adding more. Stir in 3 Tbsp kirsch (cherry brandy), 2 pinches ground nutmeg and salt and freshly ground black

pepper to taste. Pour cheese mixture into a fondue pot over low. Serve with sliced cooked sausage, cubed bread, roasted or blanched

cauliflower and cubed boiled potatoes. Serves 4–6.