Sunday Soup #124: Slow Cooker Carne Asada Pozole

Finally, a new soup! Really!! I know I haven't posted a new soup since January; I've been making a lot of past favorites (which were delish!). But, I'll be honest... I've made two or three different new soups between my last post and now, but I just didn't post them. COVID is wearing on me, and Facebook has become fairly toxic on a regular basis, so I've been less excited about posting/blogging lately. However, I felt like we definitely needed something new this month, particularly as there is hope on the horizon for getting back to some semblance of normalcy after a long, loooooooooooooong year. :-)

My friend Lisa and I were trying to figure out what we already had the protein for this weekend... chicken, yes... pork, uh-huh... carne asada? "That would be interesting," we thought, "if we could find a carne asada soup, right?" So, I went looking for one and found this recipe, which seemed pretty straightforward and sounded tasty! Let's see how it went...

This recipe came from: https://cooktopcove.com/2019/12/02/celebrate-the-holidays-with-an-authentic-slow-cooker-carne-asada-pozole/

*Pic 1 - https://cooktopcove.com/2019/12/02/celebrate-the-holidays-with-an-authentic-slow-cooker-carne-asada-pozole/

Variations from Recipe as Written: I used the pre-marinated carne asada from Costco instead of simple flank steak, which was a big change. And, I used 14oz beef broth instead of a single cup (8oz) because of the can size. Other than that, I included a bunch of garnishes not mentioned in the original recipe because it is pozole, so not having garnishes available would have been criminal!

General Thoughts: The prep was an absolute snap... Open package, put in Crock-Pot... Open can, put in Crock-Pot... That is pretty much how it went, from start to finish. It took me a grand total of about 15 minutes to get everything in the slow cooker and start it merrily cooking unattended for the next 7-8 hours. It doesn't get much better than that as far as ease of prep!

*Pics 2 & 3 - Pictures from when I made it

This soup had a nice consistency overall, not too brothy but not too thick. It was reminiscent of chowder and was pretty hearty and filling overall. It also smelled excellent as it cooked, with an aroma that promised a savory, spicy flavor. I thought it was pretty tasty... My favorite part was a smokey, spicy ancho chili flavor that was deep and complex. I wish I could find a way to impart a similar flavor to my other Mexican soups (without having to rely on pre-made enchilada sauce). And, the garnishes, which included lime, cilantro, crema, queso fresco, shredding cabbage, and tortilla chips, added to the soup's interesting flavors and textures, making it (for me) a satisfying, interesting dish.

However, while I liked this soup overall, the recipe definitely was not a universal crowd-pleaser. To start, as a pozole, the soup definitely needed more hominy (at least twice as much). And, despite the savory ancho chili flavor, it tasted very strongly (overpoweringly?) of enchilada sauce. One of my guests described it like taking a big spoonful of enchilada sauce off a Mexican food plate without actually getting any enchilada in the bite. Finally, the meat finished up a little too stew-like for some diners. While the texture wasn't a surprise to me (it slow-cooked for over 8 hours), folks are used to carne asada being grilled and a little crispy, so it did not meet with wide approval.

In my opinion, if you are a fan of enchiladas/enchilada sauce, then you would like this soup. Maybe ask yourself this question: Do I like Taco Bell Enchiritos? If yes, then you'll probably dig this soup; if no, maybe find a better option for you. :-)

Potential Improvements? If I make this one again, I need to double the hominy. And, I think I'd grill the carne asada first before adding it to the slow cooker and then just cook the soup for 4-ish hours instead of 8+.

Polling the Fam: As I said, I liked this one overall and would eat it again, particularly with the improvements above. Becky did not care for it at all, objecting to the consistency of the meat and saying she was overwhelmed by the enchilada sauce taste (she is not a fan of enchiladas, generally). Hunter liked it overall and said, even though it was very enchilada saucy, it wasn't a deal-breaker for him. Lisa liked it a lot and enjoyed the smokey ancho chili flavor, but she thought it was a little "one-note" and needed more hominy. Jayson didn't care for this one and thought it was way too overpowering with the enchilada sauce taste.

Verdict: It was okay. (3 stars)