Churipa With Beans. ~. Rancho Gordo

• Churipa With Beans Ingredients: 2 pounds stew meat (beef shank) ¼ medium white onion, chopped, plus more for garnish 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste 4 guajillo chiles 1 ancho chile 3 medium carrots, chopped 2 small zucchini, chopped ½ small cabbage, cut in half 1 teaspoon ground cumin 3 cups cooked Rancho Gordo Ayocote Blanco or Mayocoba beans Lime and chopped serrano chile to garnish

Directions:

Place the beef in a large pot with eleven cups of water, th4 onion, garlic, and salt.  Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer until the beef is tender.

Cut the ancho and guajillo chiles open, remove the stems and seeds, and soak the chiles in hot water until softened.

Once the beef is tender, add the carrots, zucchini, and cabbage. 

Continue cooking until the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape. 

Transfer the softened chiles to a blender. Add a small amount of beef broth and the ground cumin, then blend until smooth.

Strain the chile mixture directly into the pot. Add the cooked Mayocoba beans and stir gently to combine. 

Let the stew simmer a few more minutes to let the flavors come together. Taste and adjust salt as needed.

Serve hot in bowls, garnished with lime, chopped onion, and serrano chile.

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Acopole-Style Pozoles ~. Rancho Gordo

From The Rancho Gordo Pozole Book 

by Steve Sando (Rancho Gordo Press, 2019).

"Most pozoles made with seafood or fish are white. This version, inspired by Acapulco chef Susana Palazuelos, contains tomatoes, a somewhat unorthodox addition. The best mix of seafood is open to interpretation, but I love the flavor that mussels add. I suggest tossing in the mussels toward the end of cooking, letting them cook in the broth and release their briny liquor into the pot, like a San Francisco–style cioppino or Mediterranean seafood stew. Although this method may not be authentic (I can’t imagine any Mexican serving mussels and clams in their shells, making their guests work), it’s much less effort for the chef, it looks dramatic, and it’s fun for your friends."
Ingredients:
For the chile paste: 

2 ancho chiles, wiped clean with a moist towel
2 guajillo chiles, wiped clean with a moist towel
½ of a head of garlic, broken into cloves
1 cup canned whole peeled Roma tomatoes
1 onion, chopped

To finish: 

¼ cup peanut oil
6 to 8 cups fish broth or light chicken broth
3 cups cooked white corn posole/prepared hominy (cooking instructions here)
1 pound firm white fish
1 pound shrimp, peeled and de-veined, shells reserved if making broth
1 pound mussels in their shells, cleaned and debearded
1 pound clams, scrubbed
Salt, to taste

Garnishes: 

Onion, chopped
Radishes, thinly sliced
Cilantro, chopped
Mexican limes or key limes, quartered
Dried Mexican oregano or Rancho Gordo Oregano Indio

Directions:

For the chile paste: Cut the chiles in half; discard seeds and stems. In a small saucepan, warm 2 cups of water over medium-low heat; turn off heat when the water is hot. Meanwhile, warm a dry comal or skillet over medium heat; toast the chiles quickly, taking care not to let them burn. Soak the toasted chiles in the pan of warm water for 15 minutes. Drain chiles, reserving the soaking liquid.
Meanwhile, dry-roast the garlic on the same skillet or comal until soft. Cool, then peel.
In a blender, combine the chiles, garlic, tomatoes, onion, and enough of the strained chile-soaking liquid to allow the blender blades to move. Blend well, scraping down the paste as needed. Use a wooden spoon to push the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, discarding the skins and seeds.

To finish: In a large pot over medium heat, warm the oil until hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chile paste and stir immediately. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes. Add 4 cups of broth; stir well. Add the cooked hominy and heat through. (If you are using canned hominy, rinse the kernels before using and discard the liquid.)
Add the fish and seafood; gently stir to heat through. Add additional broth as needed — the mixture should be very soupy but the ingredients shouldn’t feel lost. Taste and add salt, as desired. Cook for another 10 minutes, checking that the fish is cooked through. Discard any unopened clams or mussels. Ladle into bowls and serve with your preferred garnishes.