Pork Pozole Recipe {Pork and Hominy Stew}

Name: Pozole Rojo {Pork and Hominy Stew}
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 pounds pork shoulder; 1 large white onion, sliced; 6 cloves garlic, peeled; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 3 bay leaves; 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano; 2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed; 2 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed; 1 large white 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; dried Mexican oregano; minced white onion; lime wedges; thinly sliced radishes; chopped cilantro; cubed avocado; thinly sliced green cabbage; tortilla chips

January 3, 2022 | Author: Kate Ramos

January 3, 2022 by Kate Ramos 24 Comments

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A classic Red Pozole recipe with pork, hominy, and a broth rich with red chiles. This is Mexican comfort food at its best. Top the stew with sliced radishes, dried oregano, and chopped onion. Serve with warm corn tortillas. Dairy-free! {First published December 10, 2014. Last updated January 3, 2021}

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).

Red Posole in a white soup terrine with glass bowls of sliced radishes, and lime wedges sitting on a wood table.

“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

Red Posole in a white ceramic soup terrine that is sitting on a wood table surrounded by glass dishes of garnishes.

Pozole is a Mexican stew that predates colonial times. It was eaten by Aztecs and other Mesoamerican tribes long before the Spanish arrived but what the Spanish did add to the dish was pork.

Pozole varies region to region in Mexico and is categorized by color.

White pozole has no sauce added to the broth and is purely the meat (usually pork) and hominy with aromatic vegetables.

Green Pozole has a sauce made with tomatillos, cilantro, and jalapeños added to it and red pozole (like the one we are making) has a sauce of dried red chiles.

Ingredients List

The ingredient list is long, but don’t let that deter you. I’m a big fan of tons of garnishes. I like to set them out on the table and let people top their own bowls as they please. If you only want to do one or two of the garnishes, I suggest the minced onion and dried oregano.

Pork shoulder or pork butt
Onions
Garlic
Kosher salt
Bay leaves
Dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)
Ancho chiles
Guajillo chiles
Ground cumin
Whole cloves
Canned white hominy
Lime wedges, for squeezing over each soup bowl.
Sliced radishes
Chopped cilantro
Cubed avocado
Thinly sliced cabbage. I like to use green cabbage and slice it really thin to garnish the soup.
Warm corn tortillas

How To Make A Pozole Recipe with Pork

This is not an ultra-complicated recipe, but one that does take a bit of time.

You will need a large pot 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.

Lower the heat so the broth is just at a simmer. Cover and cook until the pork is fall-apart tender, this can take up to 3 hours if using an extra thick piece of pork shoulder or pork butt.

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.

Toast the dried chiles in a hot dry comal or cast iron skillet first, then soak in hot water until they are soft, about 30 minutes. Once the chiles are soft, blend them with the onion, garlic, and spices to make a smooth sauce. Use about 1/2 cup of the liquid you used to soak the chiles in to get the mixture going in the blender.

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

Pozole Recipe, Pork?

This is the search term that will lead you to heaven! Let me know when you make it by snapping a pic and tagging me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) ! Also, sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!

Pozole Rojo {Pork and Hominy Stew}

Yield: 12 Servings

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 4 hours

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.

Ingredients

For the Pork:

4 pounds pork shoulder
1 large white onion, sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano

For the Soup:

2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
1 large white 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 Mexican oregano
minced white onion
lime wedges
thinly sliced radishes
chopped cilantro
cubed avocado
thinly sliced green 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.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 526Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 136mgSodium: 576mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 37g

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Categories: budget friendly, Christmas, Cinco de Mayo, comfort food, Comida Latina, dairy free, Dairy Free, Day of the Dead, Dies y Seis de Septiembre, Dinner, Dried Chiles, fall, Father's Day, fiesta, game day, gluten-free, kid friendly, las posadas, Mexican Classics, New Year's Eve, pork recipes, potluck, Pozole recipes, Recipes, Recipes with onions, Soups and Stews, winter

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