Southwest Elk Stew

This is my take on pozole. I fell in love with traditional pozole a few years ago when a friend from New Mexico made the dish. Although I love the traditional dish, in general I'm not a huge fan of pork or hominy, thus the creation of this recipe.

• Preparation Time: 35 mins
• Cooking Time: 8 hr
• Total Time: 8 hr 35 mins
• Calories: 517 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 ½ tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cups boiling water
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• water as needed
• 2 avocados - peeled, pitted, and sliced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
• 2 ½ cups dried garbanzo beans
• 2 pounds elk roast
• 2 ½ ounces New Mexico chile pods
• 1 head cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place garbanzo beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let soak, 8 hours to overnight.

Step 2

Strain and wash beans and place in a slow cooker. Add elk roast, olive oil, and bay leaves. Fill with enough water to cover garbanzo beans.

Step 3

Cook on High until elk meat falls off the bone when poked with a fork, about 5 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 135 degrees F (57 degrees C).

Step 4

While roast is cooking, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add chile pods and boil until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove chile pods with a slotted spoon, leaving most of the water in the pot, transfer to a blender, and process to a thin consistency.

Step 5

Remove elk roast and shred meat. Add meat back to the slow cooker. Scoop blended chiles into a fine mesh strainer and press with a spoon to add sauce to the slow cooker; discard any solids in the strainer. Add 6 cups boiling water, salt, garlic, and smoked paprika, reduce heat to Low, and cook for 3 hours. Serve stew with cabbage, avocados, lime wedges, and crushed red pepper.