Authentic Mexican Pozole Rojo
A deeply comforting and traditional Mexican soup featuring tender pork shoulder simmered with white hominy in a rich, vibrant broth made from reconstituted dried guajillo and ancho chiles, seasoned with Mexican oregano and aromatic spices.
Ingredients
- •2 lb pork shoulder (pork butt), cut into 1.5-inch cubes
- •1 lb bone-in pork spare ribs or neck bones
- •25 oz white hominy (maíz para pozole), drained and rinsed
- •4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- •2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- •2 dried chiles de árbol (optional for heat), stemmed
- •1 large white onion, halved
- •1 garlic head, unpeeled and halved crosswise
- •4 garlic cloves, peeled
- •2 bay leaves
- •1.5 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano, divided
- •0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
- •0.125 teaspoon ground cloves
- •1.5 tablespoon kosher salt
- •10 cup water
- •1 tablespoon vegetable oil or pork lard
- •2 cup shredded green cabbage
- •6 radishes, thinly sliced
- •0.5 cup white onion, finely diced
- •2 fresh limes, cut into wedges
- •8 crispy corn tostadas for serving
Instructions
- 1.
In a large 6- to 8-quart stockpot, combine the cubed pork shoulder, pork ribs or neck bones, halved onion, halved garlic head, bay leaves, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming off any foam or scum that rises to the surface.
- 2.
Once skimmed, reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and let simmer gently for 1 hour until the pork is tender.
- 3.
While the meat simmers, prepare the chile sauce. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and press the guajillo, ancho, and optional árbol chiles flat for 15 to 20 seconds per side until fragrant (do not burn). Transfer the toasted chiles to a bowl, cover with hot water, and let soak for 15 minutes until softened.
- 4.
Transfer the soaked chiles to a blender along with the 4 peeled garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of Mexican oregano, cumin, ground cloves, and 1 cup of the chile soaking liquid (or broth from the pot). Blend on high speed until completely smooth.
- 5.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil or lard in a skillet over medium heat. Strain the chile puree through a fine-mesh sieve directly into the skillet, pressing with a spatula to extract the liquid while discarding solids. Simmer the chile sauce for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- 6.
Remove the halved onion, garlic head, and bay leaves from the pork stockpot and discard them. If desired, remove bone-in ribs to debone the meat and return the meat to the pot.
- 7.
Pour the fried chile sauce into the stockpot with the simmered pork. Add the rinsed hominy and remaining 0.5 tablespoon of Mexican oregano. Stir thoroughly to combine.
- 8.
Bring the pozole back to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for another 45 to 50 minutes, allowing the hominy to blossom and absorb the chile flavors. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.
- 9.
Ladle generous portions of the hot red broth, tender pork, and hominy into deep serving bowls. Serve immediately alongside bowls of shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, diced onion, lime wedges, extra oregano, and crispy tostadas.
Tips
- 💡Using a combination of boneless pork shoulder and bone-in cuts (such as ribs or neck bones) produces a gelatinous, rich stock essential for authentic flavor.
- 💡Always strain the chile sauce through a fine-mesh strainer to ensure the broth is velvety and free of tough chile skins.
- 💡Pozole tastes even better the next day after the hominy and pork have fully infused with the chile broth; cool and refrigerate overnight if preparing ahead.
Recipe from TheCookbook.ai
Created by Basil Roux