Dried corn, posole, chicos... Help me understand the difference & how to use them

Question

I've been looking at a bunch of web sites about dried corn and I can't really find the answer I'm looking for so I'm hoping the Chowhound community will help me!

Today I made posole (Mexican pork stew with dried corn) in the pressure cooker. The dried corn kernels I used looked like large kernels of dried white corn. They weren't huge, just a little larger than regular white corn. Now I'm curious about the huge dried corn kernels I see sold in bulk in Mexican grocery stores. I've seen white ones and red ones. 

The product I used today was purchased in a high end, specialty grocery store and was quite expensive for what it was. That's why I'm curious about the product in the Mexican grocery stores. 

What I need to know is, has the bulk product been soaked with lime resulting in the hulls falling off? I can't really tell by looking at it. I guess if all else fails, I can use the Babelfish tranlation I just found for "Has this corn been treated with lime? (Este maiz se ha tratado con la sal?) Or I could just buy some and try soaking it overnight in water and cooking it the way I did the one from the gourmet grocer....

Any other ideas out there?

Answer

The corn used in pozole is of the Cacahuazintle variety which tends to have bigger kernels, lower sugar content & mild earthiness.

The stuff that is sold in bulk... whether red or white (both are used in Pozoles) have not been treated. You will need to purchase ground limestone - most commonly known as Cal - and treat it your self. All Cal packages have instructions for treating corn.

Alterntatively you might find a refrigerated product called 'Maiz para Pozole' that is pre-treated Cacahuazintle that hasn't been canned for ages.


Otherwise - of course - you can purchase canned hominy which makes a perfectly fine pozole, but isn't as earthy, or cumbersomely satisfying as starting with the dried product.

Answer

I just went to the Los Chileros website and here's a link to the product I bought. It's the second one; not the chicos. Still seems expensive when you add freight. I'll try the tortilla factory route for the pre-treated product and if that doesn't work I'll try working with the bulk stuff and Cal.

http://www.888eatchile.com/cart.asp?intID=109&intQuantity=1&x=6&y=3

Answer

Large grained white maize is what many eat all over Meso-America, parts of South America (choclo), and east Africa (often as ugali). In each area there are hundreds of varieties. I feel that you as consumers are being taken when you pay premiums for what is otherwise common traditional food. Treating your maize with cal is also not that big of a deal. 

On the other hand, is seed available to you in the US to grow your own white, large grain maize? Is it available fresh in supermarkets? 

EN, love that "cumbersomely satisfying" notion!

Answer

A friend of mine sent me a package of 'white corn pozole' from New Mexico, which I assumed had been treated especially becuase when I soaked it, it smelled strongly (and deliciously) of masa. But then when i made it in the pressure cooker yesterday, I couldn't get it to pop after an hour. I am wondering if I just needed to wait longer, or if it was not in fact treated, or becuase they don't pop in the pressure cooker. Anybody?

-Gustavo (http://dinner-bell.blogspot.com)

Answer

Chicos are young dried corn slowly becoming popular in the New Mexico. It is claim to originate with the Mexicans and also Native Americans. Regardless, they both use it to make delicious dishes. There are several ways that chicos is made.
Some people will steam the young corn in the husk then peel back the husk and hang them in the sun to dry. Some people will roast them in an earthen oven and then hang them to dry. Some people use the young white corn while others use the young yellow corn. I have not seen any young blue or other corn being used but I'll bet it's just a matter of time.
Chicos are expensive because the process is labor intensive and not mass produced. Getting the dried kernels off the cob is a hard job.
Chicos are not soaked in lime or ash (not like hominy or pasole).. Just water. The idea is when you eat the corn, it bursts in your mouth and releases the flavor and juices. Slow cook them so they don't break apart.
 I prefer the roasted chicos as I like that smokey taste and smell. You can mix chicos with other things for an interesting dish. I had pasole stew with equal amount of chicos and it was great going from 1 texture and taste to the other.

Answer

Congratulations for venturing into a new gourmet trend. Here is another you should try.
Tohono O'odhan Tepary beans. This is an ancestral bean that the people at Tohono are starting tom grow commercially. This is a great bean and has a sweet flavor. You have never tasted anything like it.

Answer

RWCFoodie, did you ever get around to experimenting with the dried red corn? How did it turn out? I would think you might be able to tell whether it's posole or untreated corn by smell - does it smell like dried popcorn, or more like tortillas?

Dried posole does have an especially great texture and flavor that you just don't get from canned - I think it's worth the cooking time. I like to soak it overnight, then put it in the crockpot on low all day, because the texture really doesn't suffer much from long cooking. And making your own posole from untreated corn is even better. It's actually pretty easy - you should totally try it! There aren't a lot of good resources on the internet that give enough detail on how to do it, so I experimented and I've written a pretty thorough explanation on my blog.

Chicos are dried sweet corn, often roasted before drying, and taste completely different from posole. If you did have chicos, you'd know it! They taste like intensified sweet corn when cooked - incredibly delicious.

Answer

Hi all, this looks like a string where someone might be able to help me out. I was wondering where I could find real maize? Is it available, and what would be a modern formulation?
Thanks!

Answer

Hello all—- I’m probably way late for this post, I’ve been wrestling with the same thing with dried maíz pozolero... pressure cooker or not? I did both and I can definitely say that the stove works better than the pressure cooker for reasons I don’t know.I tried it several times and the kernels would not bloom. Soak them overnight and then simmer over low to medium low flame for 1-2 hours... Saludos!

Answer

Here is my last bag from Rancho Gordo. It’s awesome stuff. Nutty, very corny flavored. 

I drive by and grab the stuff, but they will mail order and ship as well. 

I have yet to meet a worker at a Mexican grocery store than can confirm if their dry corn is nixtamalized or not. If I had to guess, the one dry bag is about the same amount of hominy as two of the larger cans (28oz?)

Answer

I think you may be over thinking this issue. Here is my recipe for Posole Stew. I have made it every year when it gets cold outside and even for parties. It gets rave reviews and freezes nicely. It tastes even better after being frozen. Pozole stew and Posole stew are one and the same. We prefer using Bueno products because it is a local NM product but any dry or frozen product labeled Pozole or Posole will do. This dish has been around for several hundred years before anyone knew about pressure cooking or Instant Pots. Enjoy!

POSOLE STEW
This Native American-New Mexican stew is typically made, by the Navajos with mutton; by Hispanics using pork shoulder or butt and by people who are health or calorie conscious using breast of chicken or turkey. If you choose to use mutton or pork, the cooking times listed are accurate. For chicken or turkey, you should plan on reducing cooking time.
Serves: 8
1 pound dry or frozen posole, uncooked 2 1/2 quarts chicken broth
2 large, thinly sliced onions
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 stalk of celery, finely diced
6 medium sized plum tomatoes, finely diced
4 cloves garlic
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves or boneless pork loin chops, cubed (easier to cube if slightly frozen)
6 New Mexican red chili peppers pods (can use more or less depending on degree of spiciness desired)
New Mexican red chili sauce (optional)
Cook dry posole (could use a combination of white and blue posole) in water (no salt) until corn pops or approximately 2 hours. I prefer to use Bueno frozen posole which takes about an hour to cook. To make perfectly done posole, you should really boil white and blue posole separately as the blue take more time to soften. Remove posole and rinse with cold water. In the same pot, sweat the onions, celery, carrots and garlic and remove from pot. Next brown the chicken or meat. When brown, add back the onion and garlic. Add the posole, diced tomatos and the chicken broth and simmer slowly until meat is tender, approximately 1.5-2.0 hours During cooking, continue to add more water and/or chicken broth, if necessary, and stir occasionally to prevent scorching and sticking.
You can add the chile pods when you add the broth or water or you can wait until the stew is about 15 - 30 minutes from ready and then add the chile pods. The sooner you add the chile, the "hotter" the stew will be. You could also leave out the chile pods all together or just use one or two and serve the stew with red chile sauce on the side and people can add their own. You could also add cumin (up to 1 Tablespoonful) for additional flavor.
As long as you do not burn this dish, you really cannot over cook it. The longer it cooks the better the flavor.
This recipe will serve about 8-10 people. Serve with a salad and some good sour dough bread.

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Dried corn, posole, chicos... Help me understand the difference & how to use them

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