Chock a Pot Pork Stew (Latin Fusion)

Trying to use up the last of a pork loin purchased on sale I began consulting the my new cookbook of healthy dishes with a Latin flair (WW Simply Bueno - which is wonderful). There were several stews that appealed to me but I couldn't decide and eventually came up with my own. This stew combines ingredients from various regions from the chilies of the southwest, plantains typical of the Caribbean, to the use of squash found in South America. Authentic, maybe not. Delicious, absolutely. (WW 7 pts/Core)

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  dried New Mexico chiles (see note in directions)
• 2  cups boiling water
• 1 1⁄4 lbs  lean boneless pork loin, trimmed of excess fat and cubed into 1/2 - 1 inch pieces
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 2  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 (14 1/2ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 -4  teaspoons cumin
• 2  teaspoons oregano
• 2  cups  butternut squash, cut into 1/2 - 1 inches cubes
• 1 (14 1/2ounce) can hominy, drained not rinsed
• 1  large plantain, cut into 3/8 inch thick slices
• 1⁄4-1⁄2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Tear off tops of dried chilies and place them in a bowl with the boiling water. If you want a mild sauce discard seeds before placing in water. Allow the peppers to seep for 20-30 minutes, until soft. Place chilies and the brewing water in a blender and puree into a sauce.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add in cubes of pork and stir for 1 or 2 minutes. Add in onions and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in garlic and cook an additional minute.
3. Pour the chile sauce and canned tomatoes into the saucepan and bring to a low boil. Reduce to simmer and add in cumin and oregano. Allow to cook at least 25 minutes. If you are not in a hurry, cook a full 35 minutes for a more tender pork.
4. Add in the diced butternut squash and cook an additional 15-20 minutes, until the squash is starts to become tender. (You can poke the squash with a fork, but it still has some resistance). Add in the the hominy and cook an additional 10 minutes. Add in the plantain and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until the plantains are soft but not breaking apart.
5. Stir in the chopped cilantro and serve.