Leap Into New Holiday Traditions
Tradition is part of what makes the holidays so special, whether it’s a beloved family recipe, favorite wine, or game played around the table. While you should always hold your unique traditions close, there is something to be said about exploring new ones. This year, we invite you to take the leap into the unknown and introduce a tradition from a different culture to your holiday table.
As a tribute to our local Latino community, we decided to explore pairing one of our favorite Stags' Leap wines with a classic holiday dish from Mexico. The results? While nothing can replace Grandma’s stuffing, we can guarantee this pairing will have a home on your holiday table for years to come.
Red Pork Pozole with Block 20 Merlot
Christmas in Mexico is an equally celebratory affair, beginning on December 12 with the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and ending on January 6 with the Epiphany. Tamales take center stage at Mexican Christmas celebrations with families gathering and spending full days crafting the masa and assembling the fillings. While this is a worthwhile endeavor, it’s not an easy process for the uninitiated so we decided to experiment with a traditional Pozole instead.
Pozole is a rich, thick soup that starts with a base of hominy (maize) and broth. There are many variations of the soup so we decided to go with a traditional red pozole with pork to pair with our 2019 Block 20 Merlot. The juicy, slightly zingy notes in the Merlot pair perfectly with the richness of the broth and spice of the chiles.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce dried ancho chiles
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 lbs. boneless, country-style pork ribs
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 15-ounce cans white hominy, rinsed and drained well
- 2 onions, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp minced fresh oregano
- 1 tbsp lime juice
Get Cooking
For the Chiles
Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat to 350°f. Place chiles on a baking sheet and bake until puffy and fragrant, about 6 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle then remove stems and seeds. Combine the chiles with 1 cup of broth in a medium bowl. Cover and microwave for 2 minutes. Let stand for 10-15 minutes.For the Pork
Pat pork dry and season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Add pork and cook until well browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the hominy to the same pot and cook until fragrant and lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.
For the broth
Heat remaining oil until shimmering in the same pot as before. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant. Transfer mixture to blender and puree. Going back to the pot, combine remaining broth, your pureed onion mixture, pork, oregano, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until meat is tender, about 1 to 1.5 hours.
Finish the stew
Remove pork from the pot and transfer to a clean plate. Add hominy to the pot and simmer, covered, until tender, about 30 minutes. Skim fat from broth. When meat is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-size pieces, discarding the fat. Return pork to pot and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and add lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with Stags’ Leap Block 20 Merlot.
Feliz Navidad!
2019 Block 20 Merlot
An alluring Merlot, full of depth and complexity, the wine opens with a beautiful bouquet of floral violet, crushed blueberry, and black cherry, supported by fresh chaparral herb notes of lavender and Bay Laurel. On the palate, an earthier character showcases the estate terroir, demonstrating saturated dark blackberry and spiced plum, alongside bittersweet dark chocolate, licorice, and warmer spiced notes of vanilla, cardamom, and clove – a nod to the well-integrated French oak barrels.
SHOP BLOCK 20 MERLOT
