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Spanish pozole worth wait
Loma Rica man makes dish with homemade olive oil
In September 2001, husband and wife, Gene Sexton and Beth Sylver, both weary of the fast-paced and ever-growing Bay Area, decided to make a dramatic change in their lives.
Leaving behind the stressful demands of the city, Gene and Beth took one last look at Petaluma in the rear view mirror of their car as they plunged into a new world.
When the dust settled, they found themselves on a small ranch in the foothills town of Loma Rica.
In making their move, they had visions of quiet country living that would allow them the time to “slow down and smell the olives,” if you will.
They soon discovered their new home was in the middle of an old, feral olive grove. The trees were tall and majestic with large, gnarled trunks that had suffered through years of neglect.
Through a mutual friend, I heard about Gene’s love for cooking and upon calling him, he agreed to fix one of his family recipes: Spanish pozole.
With this dish taking about 10 hours to cook, Gene had already made it before I arrived. Upon tasting it, I decided it was well worth the 10-hour wait.
To learn Gene and Beth’s full story, you can go to their Web site, www.sylverleaf.com. You will really enjoy getting to know this great couple, and you can follow their adventures in olive growing at Beth’s blog.
This is truly a Neighbors’ Favorite Recipe. It is filled with wonderful colors, textures, smells and tastes. Give it a try. There is also a on their Web site where you can purchase their custom-blended virgin olive oil.
Oh, and don’t miss reading the part about how they won a very prestigious Olive Oils of the World gold medal the very first year they entered the competition in Los Angeles.
Gene Sexton’s Spanish Pozole
Serves: Six
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 28-ounce cans hominy, one white, one yellow
1 4-ounce can green chile peppers, diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
2 14-ounce cans chicken broth
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (Gene suggests using Sylverleaf olive oil)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Corn tortillas
Sour cream
Putting it together
1. Trim fat from meat, then cut into 1-inch cubes.
2. In a large skillet, brown pork in four tablespoons olive oil. Drain fat.
3. Place pork into a four-quart slow cooker. In this order, place red pepper, tomato, onion, garlic, hominy, chile peppers, chili powder and oregano. Pour broth over all.
4. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 hours.
5. Serve in a bowl with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, three tablespoons olive oil, sour cream and hot sauce (if desired).
• Cook’s note: Warm tortillas should be served on the side.
