Green Pork and Hominy Stew

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, divided (one finely chopped, one quartered)

6 cloves garlic, divided (two finely chopped, four smashed)

3 jalapeño peppers, divided (one finely chopped, two quartered and seeded)

1 pound ground pork

½ cup dry bread crumbs

1 large egg

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more for seasoning

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 pound tomatillos, husked and halved

2 poblano peppers, seeded and quartered

½ cup chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon oregano leaves

8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade or low-sodium

2 15-ounce cans hominy, drained

Sliced avocado, sliced radishes, shredded cabbage, chopped green onion, cilantro leaves, sour cream, tortilla chips and lime wedges, optional, for serving

Directions:

1.Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño and cook for 1 minute. Remove mixture from the heat and let cool.

2.In a large bowl, combine the pork, bread crumbs, egg, salt, pepper, cumin, and onion mixture. Shape into 24 small meatballs.

3.Wipe out the skillet, add another 1 tablespoon oil, and heat over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides, about 5 minutes total; set aside while assembling soup.

4.In a blender or food processor, combine the tomatillos with the quartered onion, smashed garlic, quartered jalapeños, poblano, chopped cilantro and oregano. Pulse until coarsely chopped, scraping down the side. With the machine on, add 1 cup of stock and puree until smooth. Season the tomatillo puree with salt and pepper.

5.Heat a soup pot with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the tomatillo puree and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce turns a deep green, about 8 minutes. Add remaining chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in hominy and reserved meatballs and simmer until hot and meatballs have cooked through, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6.Serve soup in deep bowls, with an assortment of the garnishes listed above.