I called Armando’s mom a few weeks back to get her pozole recipe.
I thought it might be fun to share it with all of you, especially during the holiday season when so many people in Mexico and elsewhere eat this traditional pork and hominy stew.
Turns out she makes green pozole not red pozole which I knew because I wrote about it on this very blog and have had this very same conversation with her before (she for sure, by now, thinks I’m nuts).
“So what’s the red stew you make?” I asked her, convinced I had tasted a red pozole at her house before.
“Menudo.” She said, then gave me the recipe for that one.
But I will probably never share that with you because tripe is not easily obtained in these parts, not to mention my innards appreciation is lamentable.
I’ve tried, I really have.
Not to be deterred I asked her for some tips on making red pozole to which she pretty much confirmed its existence but said that’s not what she makes.
Sent out into the world with nothing I pulled together inspiration from a few of my favorite Mexican cooking sources: Diana Kennedy, Pati Jinich, and Margarita Carilla Arronte.
I think what results is a posole that will not disappoint and is in lock-step with the red version of this Mexican classic: spicy dried chiles, Mexican oregano-infused broth, tender strips of pork, and lots of chewy hominy.
Let’s Talk Pozole Rojo
This is not an ultra-complicated recipe, but one that does take a bit of time.
You will need a large stockpot because if you are going to go to the trouble of cooking posole, you might as well make a big batch.
The first step is to simmer the pork with onions, bay leaves, and other aromatics in boiling water. This not only cooks the pork but also produces a rich broth you will use later to make the soup.
You can skip this step and used already cooked pork and store bought chicken broth if you’re looking for a quicker version.
While the pork is cooking you will make the red sauce that flavors the pozole. The star of the sauce is ancho chiles, guajillo chiles, onions, and spices.
Then you combine the pork with the chile sauce, the broth, and hominy and cook, partially covered until all the flavors have melded together into one gloriously unified soup.
Top with all the essential garnishes and you’ll be set.
I have yet to make this pozole in an Instant Pot but if you’d like to give that a try, Sylvia’s recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Pozole looks pretty darn good.
Other Favorite Soup Recipes
- The Easiest Creamy Mexican Vegetable Soup
- Green Chile Vegan Pozole
- Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup {Caldo de Pollo}
Pozole Rojo {Pork and Hominy Stew}
Posole will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and improves with flavor the longer it sits. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 12 Servings 1x
- Category: soup
- Method: simmer
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the Pork:
- 4 pounds pork shoulder
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
For the Soup:
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 2 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 (14.5 ounce) cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
To Garnish:
- dried oregano
- minced onion
- lime wedges
- minced radishes
- chopped cilantro
- cubed avocado
- thinly sliced cabbage
- tortilla chips
Instructions
- Combine pork, sliced onion, 6 garlic cloves, salt, bay leaves and oregano in a large soup pot. Cover with water by 2-inches and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Skim off any foam, lower the heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook until pork is very tender, about 3 hours.
- Meanwhile, place chiles in a dry cast iron frying pan or comal and toast on all sides until darker in color and fragrant. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak until soft, about 30 minutes.
- Drain chiles (saving the water) and place in a blender. Add chopped onion, garlic, cumin, cloves, and salt, and about 1/2 cup of the chile soaking liquid. Blend on high until smooth (you may need to add more soaking liquid to get the blender moving).
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Carefully pour the chile sauce into the hot oil (it will splatter) and stir until sauce is fragrant and fried, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Once pork is tender and easily pulls away with a fork, remove it from the broth and set aside to cool. Strain broth, discard the solids and wash out the pot. Return broth to the pot, you should have about 10 cups. Add more water if needed.
- Return broth to a simmer. Once pork is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-sized pieces, removing any gristle or fat. Return shredded pork to the pot with the broth. Add chile sauce and hominy and bring to a simmer. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve with as many of the garnishes as you’d like.
Keywords: pozole rojo
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Read through the recipe and have to admit that it sounds like a decent Anglo version of posole. Have to admit that I am not a big fan of adding comino (cumin) to anything Mexican, but if you must, you may want to start with about half of what most recipes call for.
Hi Jamie, thanks! What do you like to put in your posole? I’m kind of a cumin addict so I will admit to my overuse. 🙂 I’d love to hear your recipe—do share if you get a second.
Hi Kate- Just happened to come across this website and remembered posting here sometime back, and after re-reading my post I think I sound rather pretentious and also, Anglo is not pejorative, just what most people here in New Mexico call a non-Hispanic white person. As for your posole recipe, about the only major thing I would change is to use either frozen or dried posole (lot longer cooking time, obviously). That canned stuff lacks something (I think something like what Italians would call “al dente” for their pasta). Also, from your photo it looks like the kernels are still intact. I prefer to cook them until they start to ‘pop’.
For the chile pods I use New Mexican chile (from Hatch, which is widely available, or Chimayo chile, not as available). Here, posole is typically served with sopaipillas, and maybe diced onions as a topping, although avocado (CalMex?) is something I will try – love avocado!
And I have to agree with you about menudo -it can be rather good, or really bad. I am not a fan, though my brother make some pretty good stuff which I will eat every two or three years. And “green posole” is an aberration not often seen here.
Thanks for the comment Jamie! I always love comparing other people’s recipes. I would love to get my hands on some dried posole (I’ll have to order that one online I’m afraid). Definitely going to try that next time. Happy Holidays!
i read through the recipe like seven times when you posted posole rojo and thought, that might be perfect for a winter solstice soiree. so i doubled the recipe and started it yesterday, and just had a small bowl for breakfast. i mean it was like one minute after adding the blended/fried ingredients and hominy that i sampled the fruits of my labor. arms in the air, palms to the ceiling and pump and say “hollah”! i’ve never made a soup and not had to tweak it. i don’t have to do anything more to this, except wait and let it get better with age. rock and roll sis. wow. nicely done. muchas gracias.
Aww, your the sweetest! I wish we could solstice with you. Have fun!!!
This looks so delicious! Bookmarking this one for dinner in the near future. 🙂
Fantastic! Thanks so much Ileana. I would love to hear what you think.
Seriously amazing recipe. Enjoyed a double batch of this recipe for a NYE party. Enjoyed it with you toppings and a side of tostada covered in crema, queso fresco, jalapeño, and cilantro. Beautiful blog site and great recipes.
Wow! Thank you so much David! You don’t know how much that means to me. Happy New Year!!
Very nice recipe. I live in Mexico and love Pozole. First attempt at one of my favorites and the results were fabulous. Had to tweak it a bit regarding amounts. In all… a great recipe to start with.
Thanks so much Jane! I’m seriously flattered that it passes muster with you knowing you’ve must’ve had some good puzzles living in Mexico.
Me encanta aprender recetas nuevas de diferentes países. La que nos enseñas del pozole rojo prometo hacerla muy pronto!! Ya te contaré!
★★★★★
¡Sí, por favor, hágame saber lo que piensa!
Me dio hambre! Yo lo aprendí a hacer en Diciembre con mi suegra que es mexicana. Me encantó, preparamos blanco y rojo. Ella también le pone pollo. Me gusta tu receta.
¡Muchas gracias! Todavía tengo que hacer pozole blanco. Necesito tu receta 🙂
Yo he empezado a hacer este tipo de té estás t debo confesar que no me quedan tan mal.
http://www.unbabydaddy.com
★★★★★
¿Pero esto es un estofado, no un té?
The more I read about pozole (of any colours) the more intrigue and interested in trying I am… I think I should start with this pozole rojo; does look too difficult for a beginner like me!
★★★★★
Well I hope you give it a try Estefania, let me know how it goes, okay?
Se ve delicioso! I trust your recipes because you go for the most authentic flavor. Thank you for sharing. My kids will love it!
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Thank you so much Laura! It’s one of my kids favorite recipes too!
I’m so excited to try this! Novice question here–I bought sliced pork shoulder with the skin intact. Do I trim this and any of the fat cap and remove the bone before cooking it?
Hi Garrett, Sorry for my late reply. I would trim the fat cap but leave it on the bone until after it’s done cooking then shred the pork and discard the bone.