Mexican Pozole: Pork and Hominy Stew
Yield: Serves 10-12
Pozole Rojo
Prep time: 25 MinInactive time: 3 H & 30 MTotal time: 3 H & 55 M
My husband Bill and I recently went to a small restaurant we had never gone to before, and were introduced to pozole (also known as posole); a delicious Mexican pork and hominy stew. I was hooked on the first bite and knew I needed to try to recreate this dish at home. A traditional dish in Mexico, pozole is often served on Thursdays and Saturdays as well as on Christmas Eve. The dish is more like a rich brothy soup rather than a stew. Top it with everything from shredded cabbage and radishes to cilantro, limes, and avocado. Or if you can’t decide on the toppings, just do all of them. You’ll be hooked. I promise you.
Ingredients
Pozole
- 4 ounces dried guajillo or ancho chiles
- 8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 pounds well-marbled pork shoulder or pork shanks, cut into 1½-inch cubes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons dry Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon salt plus 3 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 can (6 pounds 14 ounces) Mexican-style hominy
Garnishes
- Thinly sliced green or red cabbage
- Chopped cilantro
- Diced onion (white or red)
- Diced avocado
- Radishes (red or multi-colored) thinly sliced
- 4 limes, quartered
- Spoonful of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring 5 quarts of water to a boil. In a separate pot, bring 5 cups of water to a boil.
- While water is coming to a boil, prepare the chiles. Remove and discard the stems and seeds from the chile pods. Place the chile pods in a cast-iron skillet and heat over medium heat. Roast the chiles in a skillet until softened, being careful not to burn them. They will begin to soften.
- Transfer the chiles to the pot with the 5 cups of hot water. Turn off the heat and let the chiles rest in the water for 30 minutes to soften.
- Pat the pork pieces dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or skillet, heat two tablespoons of olive oil. Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides. While browning the last batch of meat, add half of the roughly chopped garlic and cook with the meat for several minutes.
- Transfer all of the pork to the pot with the 5 quarts of water. Add the bay leaves, smoked paprika, cumin and oregano along with 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Drain the chiles, keeping the liquid. Roughly chop the chiles then place them in a blender. Add 2½ cups of the soaking liquid, an additional teaspoon of salt and the remaining chopped garlic cloves. Pulse until the chiles are pureed. If needed, add additional soaking liquid.
- Add all the chile puree to the pot with the pork. Add the hominy and two more teaspoons of salt. Bring the pozole to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 2 to 3 hours or until the meat is very tender. Skim away any excess fat and remove the bay leaves.
- When ready to serve, place bowls of the garnishes on the table. Dish out the pozole into individual bowls, allowing your guests to garnish as they please.