Pozole Rojo
Mexico's celebratory hominy stew. Pork that shreds with a spoon, hominy bloomed open, in a deep red chile broth. The toppings are mandatory.
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Ingredients 10 ingredients
- 3 lbs pork shoulder, cut into large chunks
- 2 (25 oz) cans hominy, drained and rinsed (or 1 lb dried hominy, soaked overnight)
- 6 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1 white onion, quartered
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp Mexican oregano
- For serving: shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, diced white onion, lime wedges, dried oregano, tostadas
- Salt
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Method
- 1
Put the pork, onion quarters, 4 garlic cloves, bay leaves, and a tablespoon of salt in a large pot. Cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, skim the foam, then lower to a gentle simmer.
- 2
Cook 2 hours until the pork is very tender. Meanwhile, toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet until fragrant, about a minute per side. Soak in hot water 20 minutes.
- 3
Blend the soaked chiles with the remaining 2 garlic cloves and a cup of the pork cooking liquid until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh into a bowl.
- 4
When the pork is tender, stir the chile sauce and the hominy into the pot. Simmer 45 minutes more so the flavors marry and the hominy blooms open like little flowers.
- 5
Shred the pork right in the pot with two forks, or pull out the chunks, shred, and return them. Stir in the Mexican oregano and adjust salt. The broth should be deeply savory and brick red.
- 6
Serve in deep bowls with all the toppings on the table: cabbage, radishes, onion, lime, oregano, and tostadas for scooping. Everyone builds their own.
