Do you have pork spine?, I asked the butcher at my local market. He looked at me like I was from another planet and said “no, we don’t have that!” Okay, thank you, I said.
I was plannig to make Sopa de Maiz Pelao, a soup that my grandmother used to make. She would add pork spine(espinazo de cerdo) and the flavor was fantastic. So I started getting the rest of the groceries and thinking about that soup I was craving so badly. Well, I decided to buy pork ribs and use them instead.
I made the soup yesterday for lunch and it was delicious. I did not miss the pork spine at all. After I had my soup I called my aunt in Florida and told her the story. She laughed and told me that in this country pork spine are called pork neck bones.
So, if you want to make the soup the way Mamita used to make it, ask your butcher for pork neck bones, but if you prefer my way, use pork ribs. Either way, it is a wonderful soup!
For those who don’t know what hominy is, it is white or yellow dried corn and is used in Mexican pozole. In Colombia, we use it in arepas de maiz pelao, mazamorra or soups. You can buy it and cook it at home from scratch, or just buy it pre-cooked in cans.
Ingredients
(4- 6 servings)
2 pounds pork ribs or pork neck bones
8 cups water
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sazon goya with azafran or color
2 whole scallions
1 can (15.5) oz yellow hominy (maiz pelao amarillo)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup hogao
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
Maiz pelao or Hominy
Directions
1. Place a pot over medium-high heat. Add the water, salt, pepper, whole scallions, cumin, sazon Goya and pork ribs, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium- low. Cook for about 35 to 40 minutes. Discard the scallions.
2. Add potato, hominy, thyme and hogao, cover and cook for 25 minutes more or until the pork is cooked.
3. Add the cilantro and serve.
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KennyT
on Feb 23rd, 2010
@ 9:50 AM:
Hahaha, we eat pork spine too!
Kim
on Feb 23rd, 2010
@ 10:32 AM:
What a cute story Erica! I feel like we our butchers need to be a little more educated about what they sell. Mine look at me like I’m crazy when I ask them for the simplest things.
Whether you use neck bones or ribs, this looks delicious!
Ben
on Feb 23rd, 2010
@ 10:43 AM:
It’s hilarious when we get lost in translation and people look at us like we are crazy, hehe. I love the name of this recipe “pelao”. It does sound and look delicious!
Barbara
on Feb 23rd, 2010
@ 11:00 AM:
Funny story, Gloria! Oh well, pork spine, pork ribs….both are located in nearly the same place, right?
Your hominy soup looks delicious!
Baking is my Zen
on Feb 23rd, 2010
@ 11:04 AM:
Looks delicious!
Sook @ My Fabulous Recipes
on Feb 23rd, 2010
@ 11:41 AM:
ha ha people give me weird looks when I ask if they have fresh whole fish or squid…
This soup looks wonderful! You always have great recipes, Erica! Love your blog.
Erica
on Feb 23rd, 2010
@ 11:51 AM:
Thank you guys!!!
theUngourmet
on Feb 23rd, 2010
@ 12:03 PM:
I have always loved hominy! I haven’t heard it called pork spine either. Your soup looks fabulous!
Lele
on Feb 23rd, 2010
@ 3:21 PM:
Hahaha I love old family recipes with ingredients from… unusual parts of the animal. The first time my grandmother met her future mother in law, she went to stir her pot of soup and looked down at a GOAT HEAD!
5 Star Foodie
on Feb 23rd, 2010
@ 3:54 PM:
This soup sounds so delicious with pork ribs and hominy!
Christine @ Fresh Local and Best
on Feb 23rd, 2010
@ 4:14 PM:
This looks like wonderful succulent soup. I’m curious about pork spine now, I’ll have to ask about that at the butcher.
Erica
on Feb 23rd, 2010
@ 4:17 PM:
Thank you everyone for your comments!
Faith
on Feb 23rd, 2010
@ 6:47 PM:
What a lovely, colorful soup! I’m glad it turned out delicious even without the spine!
Bo
on Feb 23rd, 2010
@ 7:16 PM:
Looks so delicious! Beautiful color. My dad love hominy…I will have to make this for him sometime.
Ivy
on Feb 24th, 2010
@ 2:58 AM:
The soup sounds delicious.
grace
on Feb 24th, 2010
@ 8:19 AM:
my grandpa makes hominy for us every year, and this is a new and interesting way to use it! methinks i’d prefer the pork ribs over the neck bones, but i’d take whatever i can get!
Norma
on Feb 24th, 2010
@ 9:42 AM:
I love this soup. It reminds me of a soup my sister-in-law used to make in Venezuela. Lovely….thanks
Erica
on Feb 24th, 2010
@ 10:05 AM:
Thank you all for the comments!
Sarah Naveen
on Feb 24th, 2010
@ 10:08 AM:
So colorful and yummy!!!
Sarah
on Feb 24th, 2010
@ 12:06 PM:
Looks so good! I am glad I found your site! My husband loves authentic hispanic foods (and like making them). Love hominy – will be trying this soon.
tasteofbeirut
on Feb 25th, 2010
@ 2:11 AM:
This soup made me think of posole, which I adore. I would like to try it someday.
Oysterculture
on Feb 26th, 2010
@ 8:46 PM:
This soup sounds just delicious but I have to ask why you could not have posted the recipe sooner! =) My husband opened a HUGE container of hominy a few weeks ago and I was struggling with creative ways to use it up. I could have surely used this yummy soup!
Erica
on Mar 3rd, 2010
@ 9:59 AM:
Thank you!
Perry
on Mar 27th, 2010
@ 7:37 PM:
Great recipe! My wife isn’t really into brothy soups, but she and my kids enjoy this one!