Equipment
Ingredients
Protein and Broth
- 1000 g pork shoulder, cut into 5cm cubes
- 2500 ml water
- ½ white onion, peeled, kept intact
- 4 garlic, peeled, whole cloves
- 3 bay leaves, dried
- 800 g white hominy, canned, drained and rinsed
Chili Adobo (Red Sauce)
- 30 g guajillo chilies, stemmed and seeded
- 15 g ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
- ½ white onion, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic, peeled
- 5 g mexican oregano, dried
- 2 g ground cumin
- 15 ml vegetable oil
Garnishes
- 150 g green cabbage, finely shredded
- 6 radishes, thinly sliced
- 3 limes, cut into wedges
- ½ white onion, finely diced
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 587 kcal
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbohydrates
- 35 g
- Fat
- 35 g
- Fiber
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 489 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 11 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 14 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 118 mg
- Potassium
- 798 mg
- Calcium
- 114 mg
- Iron
- 4.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 72 mg
- Phosphorus
- 393 mg
- Zinc
- 6.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 88 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 26 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.8 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 25 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 1.35 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.53 mg
- Niacin
- 6.7 mg
- Folate
- 38 mcg
- Water
- 742 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the pork shoulder, water, intact half onion, whole garlic cloves, and bay leaves into a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any grayish foam that rises to the surface to ensure a clean broth.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and gently simmer for 1.5 hours, or until the pork reaches a safe internal temperature of 74C/165F and is starting to become tender. Remove and discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaves from the broth.
While the pork simmers, heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Briefly toast the dried guajillo and ancho chilies for about 10 seconds per side until fragrant. Do not let them blacken or they will become bitter.
Transfer the toasted chilies to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak for 15 minutes to rehydrate and soften completely.
Drain the softened chilies and place them in a blender along with the chopped onion, peeled garlic, Mexican oregano, ground cumin, and a ladleful of the pork cooking broth. Blend on high until a completely smooth puree forms.
Pass the blended chili puree through a fine mesh strainer to catch any tough skins or unblended seeds. Discard the solids left in the strainer.
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully pour in the strained chili puree. Fry the sauce for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens slightly and deepens in color.
Stir the fried chili puree and the drained hominy into the simmering pork broth. Season generously with salt. Continue to simmer uncovered for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the pork to become fully fall-apart tender.
Ladle the hot pozole into wide, deep bowls. Serve immediately alongside individual plates of shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, diced white onion, and lime wedges for guests to customize their bowls.
Chef's Notes
- Skimming the broth diligently during the first 15 minutes is crucial. This removes coagulated proteins and impurities, resulting in a cleaner, better-tasting final soup.
- Frying the chili puree (adobo) before adding it to the broth is a traditional technique called sazonar. It cooks out the raw onion flavor and blooms the spices in the hot oil.
- Mexican oregano has a distinctively citrusy, floral flavor profile compared to Mediterranean oregano. It is highly recommended to seek it out for authentic flavor.
- For a richer broth, ask your butcher for a cross-cut section of pork trotter or neck bones to simmer alongside the shoulder. Remove them before serving.
- Do not skip the fresh garnishes. The raw crunch and acidity from the cabbage, radish, and lime provide necessary contrast to the heavy, rich stew.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Flavors deepen significantly after a day in the fridge. Store garnishes separately.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze without fresh garnishes. Hominy may soften slightly upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium heat until simmering.
Troubleshooting
Broth tastes excessively bitter
Cause: The dried chilies were burnt during the toasting process, or the soaking liquid was used in the blender instead of fresh broth.
Fix: Stir in a small pinch of sugar or a splash of white vinegar to balance the bitterness. If severely burnt, it cannot be completely fixed.
Prevention: Toast chilies only until just fragrant (10-15 seconds) and discard the bitter soaking water.
Pork is tough and chewy
Cause: The soup was boiled too vigorously or not simmered for enough time.
Fix: Continue simmering gently until the meat tenderizes, adding a splash of water if the broth reduces too much.
Prevention: Maintain a gentle simmer and test the meat before adding the hominy.
Cultural Context
Pozole is deeply rooted in Mesoamerican history, with origins dating back to the Aztecs. Hominy, the star ingredient, is created through nixtamalization, an ancient process of soaking corn in an alkaline solution to remove the hull and unlock essential nutrients. Today, Pozole Rojo is a celebratory centerpiece in Mexico, traditionally served at large gatherings, holidays like Christmas and Independence Day, and Sunday family dinners.
