Pozole in Medford

Pozole is built on hominy — field corn treated until the kernels bloom open and go soft and slightly chewy. That corn goes into a long-simmered broth with meat, and the result is somewhere between a soup and a stew, closer to a full meal than either word suggests.

The bowl comes plain and the garnishes come alongside: shredded cabbage or lettuce, radish, onion, oregano and lime. Half the pleasure is building it the way you like it, and it changes the dish completely depending on how heavy a hand you have.

Pozole is what Mexican families make when there is something to mark — a holiday, a birthday, a Sunday with everyone at the table. It is cooked in quantity because it is meant to be shared, which is exactly why it lands on a weekend menu and not a Tuesday one.