Here’s a classic Pozole recipe—a traditional Mexican soup/stew made with hominy, meat, and rich seasonings.
Pozole Rojo (Red Pozole)
Servings: 6–8
Prep: 15 min | Cook: 2–3 hrs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into chunks
- 1 onion, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic
- 8 cups water or chicken broth
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 can (29 oz) hominy, drained and rinsed
Red Sauce
- 5–6 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2–3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp cumin
- Salt to taste
Garnishes (optional but traditional)
- Shredded cabbage or lettuce
- Radishes, thinly sliced
- Lime wedges
- Diced onion
- Chopped cilantro
- Avocado
- Tostadas or tortilla chips
Instructions
- Cook pork:
- In a large pot, add pork, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and water or broth.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1–2 hours until pork is tender.
- Prepare red sauce:
- Toast dried chiles lightly in a skillet for 1–2 minutes.
- Soak chiles in hot water 15–20 minutes until softened.
- Blend soaked chiles with garlic, cumin, and a little soaking water until smooth.
- Strain for a smoother sauce if desired.
- Combine:
- Remove pork from broth and shred.
- Stir red sauce and hominy into the broth.
- Add shredded pork back to the pot.
- Simmer 15–20 minutes to let flavors meld.
- Serve:
- Ladle pozole into bowls and serve with garnishes like cabbage, radishes, lime, onion, and cilantro.
Tips & Variations
- Pozole verde: Use tomatillos, green chiles, and cilantro instead of red chiles.
- Chicken pozole: Substitute chicken thighs for pork.
- Make ahead: Flavors deepen if prepared a day ahead and reheated.
- Spicy: Add extra chiles or a dash of hot sauce.
If you want, I can also give a quick 1-hour pozole, a slow-cooker pozole, or a vegetarian pozole with mushrooms and hominy.
