Where is it written that canned cranberry sauce has to be served with at Thanksgiving? The sweet, sour, hot tastes of this chutney compliments turkey, chicken, and even pork. The addition of black pepper may sound odd, but it does provide a tasty accent to the chutney.
This dish is traditionally served during the Christmas season in New Mexico, when a pot simmering at the back of the stove provides a welcoming fare for holiday well-wishers. I can’t remember any holiday party or dinner that I’ve attended that this stew hasn’t been served. At my house this is a staple on Christmas Eve. I always have a pot ready to warm my husband and I up after strolling Old Town and enjoying the luminarias. Similar to, yet different from the “pozole” served in Mexico, this popular dish is served as a soup, a main course, or a vegetable side dish. Posole, the processed corn, is the main ingredient of this dish of the same name. If posole corn is not available, you may substitute hominy–the taste won’t be the same, but it will still be good.
I make this every Thanksgiving that’s held at our house, and a few times in the kitchens of friends. It’s so simple that it really doesn’t need a recipe, but here’s one anyway.
I’ve been making and promoting this recipe for years. It has never caught on, but maybe it will now.
This recipe was inspired by my friend Scottie Johnson from Chicago. We first met via The BBQ Forum on the Internet and realized we were almost neighbors. I wish you could see his adorable little girls. It was first created for deep-fried turkeys, but works just great in the BBQ for all poultry and it makes a great fish marinade too.
