Crock Pot Pork and Hominy Stew

The idea of this stew came from a Food Network Magazine, but I changed it a good bit. I loved that the ingredients list was so short and it was a slow cooker dish that required no work on the front end. I wasn’t sure what hominy was but the word was fun to say. I did my research and basically found out that it is corn. It’s dried and then soaked which gives it a unique flavor and texture, but if you just want to use frozen corn I think you’d be just fine (I might do this next time, though canned hominy was surprisingly easy to find in my Giant’s international aisle). Instead of serving this with corn tortillas, sour cream and romaine lettuce like the recipe called for I found the remaining cilantro and avocado to be just great – I had out some corn tortilla chips, though, to keep my daughter happy.

Incidentally I also pulled out the meat for her and served it with some carrots and black beans – I told her it was chicken. Why? I don’t know; I always pictured myself being honest with my kids about food but we’d had just one too many frustrating conversations for one day. She loved the chicken.

If you’re looking for “easy” and “crockpot” which are two words I’m sure you’ve googled together at least five times, then this dish is for you.

Crock Pot Pork and Hominy Stew

Serves 4

1 1/2 lb. thick center cut, boneless pork chops, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 (15 oz) cans hominy, drained and rinsed well

2 c. chicken broth

1 (16 oz) jar salsa verde

2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch cilantro, chopped, divided

4 c. cooked brown rice

2 avocado, diced

1. Combine pork, hominy, chicken broth, salsa verde, peppers, garlic, and half the bunch of cilantro (leaves and tender stems) in the crock pot. Stir to combine.

2. Cook over low heat 6-8 hours, or high heat for 4 hours.

3. Add rice to bowls and divide stew between them, over the rice. Top with remaining cilantro leaves and diced avocado.