Red Pork Pozole
shared by Nibblore Español
This hearty pozole combines tender hominy and juicy pork in a deeply flavored red chile broth with moderate heat. Cooking the pork first and adding the chile sauce later makes it easier to skim the broth while preserving its vibrant color. Serve it for a family lunch or dinner with crisp vegetables, lime wedges, and crunchy tostadas. • Toast the chiles only briefly; burned chiles can make the entire broth taste bitter. • For a more integrated flavor, make the pozole one day ahead and remove the solidified fat before reheating. • If the broth reduces too much, add boiling water in small amounts so the simmer is not interrupted. • Rinse canned hominy thoroughly before weighing and adding it. • Replace the pork neck bones with bone-in pork ribs to preserve the broth's richness. • Use only guajillo chiles if ancho chiles are unavailable; the broth will be brighter and less sweet. • Replace the romaine lettuce with finely shredded white cabbage for a crunchier garnish. • For a mild pozole, omit the árbol chiles completely. Refrigerate the pozole without its garnishes in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a pot over medium heat, adding a little water if the broth has thickened, until it maintains a gentle simmer for at least 3 minutes. Store the garnishes separately and serve them fresh.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
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Save to my cookbook — freeIngredients
- 1.2 kgpork shoulder, cut into 4 cm chunks
- 500 gpork neck bones, cut into sections
- 3 lwater
- 1white onion, halved
- 6 clovegarlic, peeled
- 2bay leaves
- 2 tspfine salt, plus more to taste
- 5dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2dried árbol chiles, stemmed, optional
- 1 tspdried Mexican oregano
- ½ tspground cumin
- 2 tbspvegetable oil
- 1.6 kgcooked white hominy, drained
- 250 gromaine lettuce, finely shredded
- 6radishes, thinly sliced
- ½white onion, finely chopped
- 2 tspdried Mexican oregano, for serving
- 3limes, cut into wedges
- 8corn tostadas, for serving
Instructions
- 1Place the pork shoulder, pork neck bones, and water in an 8-liter stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming off any foam that rises during the first 10 minutes.
- 2Add the halved onion, 3 garlic cloves, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, partially cover, and cook for 75 minutes, until the pork shoulder is nearly tender but still holds its shape.
- 3While the pork cooks, heat a comal or dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles for 10 to 15 seconds per side, pressing them down lightly; remove them as soon as they become fragrant and do not let them blacken.
- 4Place the toasted chiles in a heatproof bowl, cover with very hot water, and soak for 20 minutes. Drain, then blend with the remaining 3 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon oregano, the cumin, and 350 ml of the pork broth until completely smooth.
- 5Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Carefully pour the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into the skillet, as it may splatter, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens slightly and no longer smells like raw chile.
- 6Remove the onion, bay leaves, and any small bone fragments from the pot. Stir in the cooked chile sauce and hominy, adding hot water if needed so the solids are covered by about 3 cm of liquid.
- 7Return to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the hominy is very tender, the broth has developed body, and the pork pulls apart easily with a fork. Remove the bones, pull off any attached meat, and return the meat to the pot.
- 8Add the remaining teaspoon of salt, taste the broth, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Let the pozole rest off the heat for 10 minutes; spoon off some surface fat if you prefer a lighter broth.
- 9Ladle the pozole into deep bowls and serve piping hot. Set out the lettuce, radishes, chopped onion, 2 teaspoons oregano, lime wedges, and tostadas so everyone can garnish their serving to taste.