Ingredients

• 2 small acorn squash
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 2 cups dried, broken hominy, rinsed, and soaked for at least 8 hours
• 1 cup dried lima beans rinsed, and soaked for at least 8 hours
• 1 cup dried chickpeas rinsed, and soaked for at least 8 hours
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes (or to taste)
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1″ pieces
• 1 pound Colombian (or your favorite!) cured chorizo, cut into 1/2-inch slices on the diagonal
• 2 red onions, coarsely chopped
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup finely chopped scallions or coarsely chopped parsley leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400-degrees F.
2. Halve the acorn squash.
3. Take out the seeds, and place the halves face up.
4. Place the butter and sugar—half and half—into the recess of each half.
5. Bake for about an hour, or until the meat is tender, “basting” the flesh every 15 minutes with the butter and sugar.
6. Once the squash is cooked and cool enough to handle, remove the skin and coarsely chop into 1-inch chunks.
7. Set aside.
8. Whisk together the oil, paprika, chile flakes and half the garlic.
9. Heat a medium size stock pot.
10. Pour the oil mixture over the pork shoulder chunks and mix well (you can also use this to marinate the meat!).
11. Working in batches, add to pork to the pan, and cook, turning, until browned all over, about 10 minutes.
12. Transfer to a plate.
13. Add the chorizo and brown all over, about 5 minutes.
14. Add remaining garlic and onion; cook until the onion softens, about 3 minutes.
15. Add the red wine, and cook until it’s absorbed, about 3 minutes.
16. Add the tomato paste, oregano, cumin, and bay leaves and cook until it’s well blended, about 3 minutes.
17. Drain the hominy, lima beans, and chick peas.
18. And add them to the pot with the meat and 10 cups of water.
19. Bring the mixture to a boil.
20. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until hominy and beans are tender, about 2 hours.
21. After about 1 hour, add acorn squash.
22. Stir in the lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.
23. Divide among bowls.
24. Sprinkle with scallions or parsley and serve.