Pozole Rojo de Puerco
Red Pork Pozole soup is my favorite Mexican dish hands down. It’s simple, earthy, rich and satisfying. Pozole is pork or chicken – this recipe calls for pork – and hominy in a mildly spicy guajillo and ancho chile broth garnished with shredded cabbage or lettuce, diced onion, sliced radish, Mexican oregano and some arból chile for a little extra heat with a squirt of lime juice to bring it all together. The perfect dish.
Let Us Teach You How to Make Great Pozole
Is authentic pozole difficult to make? No, it isn’t, but it is laborious. It’s a dish you make when you are having friends and family over to share good food and good times. It’s well worth the effort! If you make it once, you will be asked to make it every time you get together. You will see.
The Cooking Process
If you have never made pozole before it will help to visualize the process. Here’s a list of the main steps. The photos will walk you through the process.
Start with these steps:
These are done in separate pots at the same time.
- Prepare the chile base
- Cook the pork
- Cook the hominy
Then complete these steps:
- Combine the ingredients in 1 pot and simmer
- Prepare the garnishes
Then the best part:
- Serving and eating
Gather Your Ingredients
The main ingredients to make pozole are pork, hominy (maíz pozolero), ancho chiles, guajillo chiles, onion, garlic, and Mexican oregano and optional chiles de arból.
Cooking the Pork & Broth
Place the pork, a head of garlic a few bay leaves and half an onion in a large pot and just cover with water (about 6 cups). Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes. The pork is done when you can easily pull it apart with your fingers. If the pork doesn’t pull apart easily after 45 minutes, cook for another 15 minutes.
When the pork is cooked remove it from the cooking liquid and set aside. Strain the broth into a bowl and set aside.
When the pork is cool to the touch, shred it with your fingers into 1″ long pieces.
Preparing the Chile Base
Remove the stems, seeds, and veins from the chiles and discard.
Place the chiles, 3 cloves of garlic and 1/2 white onion in a pot and just cover with water (about 3 cups).
Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat. Allow the chiles to rest for 15 minutes to reconstitute them. Notice how the chiles have expanded and become pliable from absorbing the water.
Add the chiles, onion, garlic oregano and soaking liquid to your blender. Blend for 1 minute until smooth. Do this in 2 batches.
Strain the blended chile base.
Press the pulp firmly with the back of the spoon to extract as much flavor as possible. Discard the chile pulp that remains.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat and pour in the chile base. This is called “seasoning.” It is an important step that adds a lot of flavor to your pozole.
Simmer for 30 minutes until the base has thickened and darkened in color. Looking good, isn’t it?
Cooking the Hominy
Drain the canned hominy and rinse. Put the rinsed hominy in a large pot and cover with 2″ of water. Simmer while you are preparing the pork and chile base.
Assembling the Pozole
Now it is time bring all of the ingredients together. Add the chile base to the hominy.
Then add the pork broth and shredded pork. Add 3 teaspoons of sea salt. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add more salt as necessary.
When the pozole is ready to serve it will have taken on a beautiful deep red color.
Preparing the Garnishes
While your pozole is simmering you will need to get all of the garnishes ready. The traditional garnishes are: shredded cabbage or lettuce, diced onion, slices of radish, oregano, limes and finely chopped dried chiles or chile powder.
This Is How I Prepare My Perfect Bowl
Everyone has a unique way of personalizing their pozole. This is how I prepare mine. You need to start with the garnishes: shredded cabbage or lettuce, chopped onion, sliced radish, oregano and chopped spicy arból chile. Then you add your preferred garnishes in your preferred quantity.
Let’s begin. I start with a naked bowl of pozole.
Add cabbage.
Add radish.
Add onion.
Add oregano.
And lastly, add chile de arból for some heat with a squirt of lime to tie all the flavors together.
Here It Is, My Perfect Bowl
What do you think!
Hungry yet? Provecho!
Red Pork Pozole Recipe
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 12 servings
Authentic Red Pork Pozole - a simple, earthy, rich and satisfying dish. Pork and hominy in a mildly spicy chile broth garnished with shredded cabbage, diced onion, sliced radish, and Mexican oregano finished with a squirt of lime juice.
Ingredients
Pozole
- 3 pounds boneless pork leg
- 2 25oz. cans of hominy, drained and rinsed
- 5 ancho chiles
- 5 guajillo chiles
- 1/2 white onion
- 3 arból chiles (optional, use if you want a spicier broth)
- 3 cloves of garlic + 1 head of garlic
- 1 tbsp Mexican oregano
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 tsp sea salt + as needed
Garnishes
- 1/2 head of cabbage, shredded
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 6 radishes, sliced into half moons
- 6 limes quartered
- 4 tbsp Mexican organo
- 6 arból chiles, finely chopped
- Salt as needed
Instructions
FIRST STEPS
The first steps are done in separate pots at the same time.
Pork and Pork Broth
- Place the pork, head of garlic a few bay leaves and half an onion in a large pot and just cover with water (about 6 cups).
- Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes. The pork is done when you can easily pull it apart with your fingers. If the pork doesn't pull apart easily after 45 minutes, cook for another 15 minutes.
- When the pork is cooked remove it from the cooking liquid and set aside. Strain the broth into a bowl and set aside.
- Shred the pork with your fingers into 1" long pieces.
Chile Base
- Remove the stems, seeds and veins from the chiles and discard.
- Place the chiles, clove of garlic and 1/2 white onion in a pot and just cover with water (about 3 cups).
- Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat. Allow the chiles to rest for 15 minutes to reconstitute them. Notice how the chiles have expanded and become pliable from absorbing the water.
- Add the chiles, onion, garlic oregano and soaking liquid to your blender. Blend for 1 minute until smooth.
- Strain the blended chile base. Discard the chile pulp that remains.
- In a pot, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat and pour in the chile base. Reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Cook for 30 minutes until the base has thickened and darkened in color.
Hominy
- Drain the canned hominy and rinse.
- Put the rinsed hominy in a large pot and cover with 2" of water.
- Simmer while you are preparing the pork and chile base.
NEXT STEPS
Assembling Your Pozole
Now it is time bring all of the ingredients together.
- Pour the prepared chile base into the hominy.
- Then add the pork broth and shredded pork.
- Add 2 teaspoons of sea salt.
- Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Adjust the salt as necessary.
Prepare the Garnishes
- Shred the cabbage
- Dice the onion
- Slice the radish into half moons
- Quarter the limes
- Finely chop the arból chile
- Place each garnish into individual serving bowls.
FINAL STEPS
Serving
- Ladle the the pozole into individual bowls to serve
- Each person garnishes their pozole as desired
- The final step is to enjoy!
Notes
"Posole" is an alternative spelling.
Courses Dinner
Cuisine Mexican
More Mexican Soups & Stews
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Marina says
I am Maria. I from mamatestataqueria. I see article very useful
Diane Villegas says
Why do you cook the canned hominy when it’s already cooked? I just rinse it and throw it in. I also add pinto beans, canned or homemade plus Santa Cruz pure chile powder instead of blending my own. The toppings are chopped green onions and cilantro. I live in Southern Arizona and that’s how I make it.
Denise says
We have some version of this every Christmas Eve, with family and friends. I use the big, dried hominy – it’s especially good because I have to make a vegetarian version for a couple of people and the big hominy is almost like cubes of meat. We have additional toppings – chopped jalapeño, slices of avocado, chopped jicama. Everyone can add whatever they like, but I insist they squeeze a little lime over it all, because that really makes a difference. The notes here say that once you serve this to people they will want it again and again – I’ve found that’s very true! Denise in San Antonio
Douglas Cullen says
Denise,
Thanks for sharing! I really like the idea of adding chopped jicama. I will be giving it a try. Totally agree on adding lime. Cheers!
Rachel says
Is it okay to make this the night before and keep in the fridge overnight? Will the Hominy keep its texture?
Douglas Cullen says
It will taste even better and the hominy will keep its texture. Cheers!
Susie says
I made this last Sunday for a soup swap with my family. It turned out great and if I hadn’t left some home I wouldn’t have any left overs of my own.
KRISTINA says
Made this on a whim for my husband. While the ingredients are fairly simple, this was a true labor of love. I love cooking so this was like therapy! Great recipe, and not too spicy for those who aren’t in to a ton of heat.
Side note: cooking the hominy releases a bit of that natural corn starch. This will help thicken in the final simmer! Hope that helps for anyone wondering!
S Scarfino says
We have this every Christmas Eve as well but do a chicken version. It’s still delicious and the toppings make it! My sister in law brought it once and now we ask for it every year! We have a vegetarian now, so I love the idea of the big hominy.