Cinco de Mayo Menu

May is right around the corner, and the month starts off with a bang right on the fifth day with Cinco de Mayo. This holiday marks the date of the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. Having spent some time in the Lone Star State herself, Bernadette is well-versed in the traditions of Cinco de Mayo, and this menu reflects that knowledge with some traditional dishes to commemorate the day: Pozole, Cazuela de Maíz con Chorizo y Chiles (Hominy and Chorizo Casserole with Green Chiles), Pastel de Natilla de Limón y Lima (Lemon-Lime Custard Pie), and Aunt Ishy's Pecan Pralines.

Let's get started! 

1. Pozole

This is a traditional Mexican dish for parties, gatherings, and special occasions. While it is not an easy dish to make, it is definitely worth the effort when you taste that first bite. It is a succulent marriage of hearty, earthy hominy and tender, juicy pork bathed in a pork broth flavored by smoky, hot chilis. You can garnish the dish with a wide variety of toppings, making every serving a different version and a crowd-pleaser for all. It has to be cooked in three parts and then assembled in a final step, so do not wait until the last minute to get started on this dish.

Part 1: The hominy

What you need for this part:

• 1 pound dried hominy
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled

Here is how you make it: 

• Place dried hominy in a colander and rinse with cold running water 
• Place rinsed hominy in a bowl and fill with water to the top
• Remove any floating debris or husks
• Rinse hominy in a colander again under cold running water
• Repeat until the water in the bowl is clean
• Place rinsed hominy in a large pot with enough water to cover the hominy by 3 inches
• Soak at room temperature for 8 hours
• After 8 hours, place the pot on the stove over high heat and add the sliced onion and garlic
• Cook at a full boil for 10 minutes
• Then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook until the kernels are tender and not chalky (about 2-3 hours)
• Add hot water if needed to keep the hominy covered by 1 inch of water during the cooking process
• Once tender and cooked, strain the hominy in a colander over a large bowl
• RETAIN THE COOKING LIQUID FOR LATER
• The cooked hominy can be stored in an air-tight, covered container in the refrigerator up to but no more than three days if necessary 

Part 2: The pork

What you need for this part:

• 3 pounds of pork shoulder, cut into bite-size pieces (Bernadette dices her own meat to make sure it is free of sinew, etc.; but, if you have a really good butcher you trust, have them do the work.)
• 1 pound of country-style pork spare ribs with the bone included
• 2 cups yellow onion, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorns
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons of kosher salt

Here is how you make it:

• Place the meat in a large stock pot
• Fill with enough cold water to cover the meat by 1 inch
• Add the onion, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, and salt
• Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat
• Then reduce to a gentle simmer and cover partially
• Cook until the meat is VERY tender and the stock has a rich flavor (about 2-3 hours)
• Once tender, remove the pork from the stockpot and allow to cool
• Remove the meat from the bone and discard the bones
• Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve to remove and discard solids
• Allow the stock to cool, then refrigerate for up to 6 hours in order for the fat to congeal on top of the stock
• Once congealed, remove the fat and discard or use for another dish

Part 3: The chile sauce

What you need to make this part:

• 3 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
• 2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
• 1 small medium yellow onion
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled

Here is how you make it:

• Toast the chiles in a large skillet over high heat for approximately 30 seconds per side until they are fragrant but DO NOT burn them
• Then, place the toasted chiles in a bowl with boiling water until they are covered completely
• Allow to soak for 20 minutes until tender
• Remove the chiles from the soaking water BUT RESERVE THE WATER FOR USE SHORTLY
• Once soaked and tender, place the chiles in a blender (we recommend a Vita-Mix) with the onion and garlic
• Blend on high speed until smooth, adding the reserved soaking water as needed until the mix is smooth but still thick

• Working in small batches, press the chili sauce through a fine mesh sieve using a spatula, discarding the solids that remain
• The liquid product is your chili sauce!

Part 4: Putting it all together

What you need to make the final dish:

• 7 cups of the cooked hominy from Part 1
• The reserved hominy cooking liquid from Part 1
• The 4 pounds of cooked pork from Part 2
• The pork stock from Part 2
• The chile sauce from Part 3
• 1-2 tablespoons of canola or vegetable oil

Here is how you make it:

• Place a large pot over medium heat with enough cooking oil to cover the bottom of the pot
• Heat the oil over medium-high heat
• Once the oil is hot, pour the chile sauce in the pot and reduce the heat to medium
• Stir the sauce frequently to keep it from burning
• Cook until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 8-10 minutes

• Once the sauce is at the desired thickness, add in the 7 cups of cooked hominy and the 4 pounds of cooked pork and stir to coat the meat and hominy
• Now, slowly add the pork stock into the pot
• Pozole is more like a stew than a soup, so don't add too much pork stock
• Once you reach the desired consistency, allow the pozole to heat on medium until the flavors are married and the dish is delicious

• IF YOU USE ALL OF YOUR PORK STOCK AND STILL NEED TO ADD MORE LIQUID, USE THE RESERVED HOMINY COOKING LIQUID IN SMALL AMOUNTS TO ACHIEVE THE RIGHT THICKNESS

This dish is perfect for sharing with friends and family for an occasion like Cinco de Mayo. Serve the pozole in warmed bowls and garnish the top with your choice of shredded green cabbage, crumbled cotija cheese, diced onion, sliced radishes, sliced avocado, sliced jicama, sour cream, cilantro, escabeche, or tortilla chips. With that many choices for toppings, everyone should be able to find something they like to go with this pozole. Bernadette always likes hers with a squirt of fresh lime over the top to add a little acidity and brighten the flavor profile.

2. Cazuela de Maíz con Chorizo y Chiles (Hominy and Chorizo Casserole with Green Chiles)

This is the perfect dish to make if you made too much hominy or you need another dish to put on the table. The other nice thing about this dish is that you can make it vegetarian/vegan friendly by omitting the chorizo and using vegetarian/vegan-friendly cheese and sour cream. 

Here is what you need to make this dish:

• 6-7 cups of cooked hominy (you can use the same method to cook it as you did for the pozole, or you can just double that recipe [a pound of dried hominy is about 7 cups cooked])
• 8 ounces of sour cream
• 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 ounces of chopped green chiles (Bernadette likes the hot Hatch Green Chiles for a little kick)
• 1 pound of chorizo
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 1 large white onion, diced

Here is how you make it:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat then add the chorizo
• Cook your chorizo until it is done, breaking it up into bite-sized pieces
• Remove the cooked chorizo from the skillet and place in a bowl, leaving as much of the fat in the skillet as possible 
• Cook the diced onion in the same skillet in the reserved fat from the chorizo until the onion is translucent
• Remove the cooked onion from the skillet and place in the bowl with the chorizo
• Open the can of green chiles; strain and discard the juice
• In a large mixing bowl, put the hominy, sour cream, cheddar cheese, green chiles, chorizo, and onion together
• Using a large spoon or your hands (you may want to put on nitrile kitchen gloves for this) mix the ingredients together completely
• Spoon the mix into a 2-quart casserole dish

• Place in the oven for 30 minutes or until heated through

This is another dish that can be garnished with any combination of the same toppings you serve with the pozole. That makes the dish versatile and preparation for serving easier! 

3. Pastel de Natilla de Limón y Lima (Lemon-Lime Custard Pie)

This pie is as light and fluffy as a cloud, with a tangy zest of lemon and lime that make it the perfect complement to the heartiness of the pozole and the cazuela.

Here is what you need to make this dish:

• 1 packet of gelatin
• 1/4 cup of cold water
• 4 extra large egg yolks
• 1 cup of sugar, divided in half
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice
• 1/2 tablespoon of lemon zest
• 1/2 tablespoon of lime zest
• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup of heavy cream, whipped
• 1 baked 9" pie shell, cooled

Here is how you make it:

• Soak the gelatin in the cold water for 15 minutes
• While the gelatin soaks, beat the egg yolks until light
• Add the half a cup of sugar, salt, lemon juice, and lime juice to the beaten eggs
• Taste and adjust flavor with either more lemon or more lime juice
• Cook in a double boiler until thick
• Add the lime and lemon zest

• Remove from the heat and add the gelatin, stirring until dissolved
• Allow mixture to cool
• Now, beat the egg whites until medium stiff
• Add the other half a cup of sugar to the beaten egg whites and continue beating until stiff
• Fold into the lemon/lime mix and place in the cooled pie crust
• Top with the whipped cream in any decorative manner you desire

In Bernadette's version of this pie, we finish it off with a fine grating of dark chocolate over the pie. You can decorate the pie with candied violets, edible flowers, or any combination thereof.

4. Aunt Ishy's Pecan Pralines

Bernadette's Aunt Ishy spent summers in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and this recipe was a local favorite that she brought back. To make these pralines, you will need a candy thermometer to get your temperature just right.

Here is what you need to make this dish:

• 4 cups of pecan halves
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons of Mexican vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons of Karo syrup
• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup of whole milk

Here is how you make it:

• Toast your pecan halves over medium heat in a cast iron skillet, being careful not to burn them
• In a heavy pot (Bernadette always prefers Le Creuset because it's heavy and prevents burning and scorching at high heat) fitted with the candy thermometer, melt the butter over medium heat
• Now add the granulated sugar, brown sugars, vanilla extract, Karo syrup, and milk while stirring constantly to dissolve the sugars
• Once the sugars are dissolved, add your toasted pecans and continue stirring constantly

• Heat the mix over medium heat until the candy thermometer hits a temperature of 234 degrees F
• Remove from the heat but continue stirring as the mix cools

• Once you reach 140 degrees F and the mix is no longer shiny, begin spooning the mix on a baking sheet lined with either parchment paper or a Silpat sheet

• You can make the pralines as large or as small as you like at this point, but you need to move quickly as the mix will begin to set rapidly once it cools below 140 degrees F

This is a not a difficult recipe, but it does require a little preparation to have all the ingredients and equipment ready to go. Successful pralines take attention, continuous stirring, and quick spooning to come out perfect.

We think this menu is ideal for a great Cinco de Mayo fiesta. It features authentic Mexican dishes with complex flavors and rich textures. The options of toppings for the main dishes expand on this theme and bring together many of the elements of Mexican agriculture. The pie is refreshing and light, and the pralines make a perfect parting gift for guests leaving the party as Bernadette knows it's best to give your guests something to remember the night. Feliz Cinco de Mayo to each of you, and enjoy!