Equipment
Ingredients
Meat and Aromatics
- 15 ml vegetable oil
- 800 g pork shoulder, diced into 2cm pieces
- 1 white onion, diced
- 4 garlic, minced
Spices and Flavor Base
- 30 g chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely minced
- 5 g ground cumin
- 3 g dried mexican oregano
- 10 g kosher salt
Broth and Bulk
- 1000 ml chicken broth, low sodium preferred
- 500 g canned white hominy, drained and rinsed well
Garnishes
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 lime, cut into wedges
- 15 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 503 kcal
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbohydrates
- 36 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 2396 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 139 mg
- Potassium
- 934 mg
- Calcium
- 110 mg
- Iron
- 5.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 81 mg
- Phosphorus
- 494 mg
- Zinc
- 8.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 32 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 20 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 17 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.7 mcg
- Thiamin
- 1.87 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.83 mg
- Niacin
- 9.5 mg
- Folate
- 29 mcg
- Water
- 577 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced pork shoulder and sear until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Wash hands and cutting boards thoroughly after handling raw pork to prevent cross-contamination.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced white onion to the pot with the pork. Sauté until the onion is translucent and softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic, chipotle peppers in adobo, ground cumin, and dried Mexican oregano. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the spices are highly fragrant and coat the meat and onions.
Pour in the chicken broth, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned flavor bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the drained hominy and kosher salt. Bring the stew to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer gently for 55 to 60 minutes. The stew is ready when the pork is fall-apart tender and reaches a minimum internal temperature of 74°C/165°F.
Remove from heat. Ladle the hot stew into serving bowls. Garnish each bowl with sliced radishes, fresh cilantro, and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over the broth.
Chef's Notes
- Mexican oregano has a brighter, more citrus-forward flavor profile compared to Mediterranean oregano. If you must substitute with Mediterranean, use slightly less.
- Hominy acts like a sponge. Rinsing it thoroughly removes the starchy canning liquid, allowing it to soak up the smoky, seasoned pork broth.
- To make this a faster weeknight meal, ensure you dice the pork shoulder into very small, uniform 2cm cubes. Larger chunks will require up to 2 hours of simmering to become tender.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. The flavors will deepen and improve the next day.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze the stew base only. Do not freeze the fresh garnishes.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat until simmering.
Troubleshooting
Pork is tough and chewy
Cause: The stew has not simmered long enough to break down the tough connective tissues in the pork shoulder.
Fix: Cover the pot and continue simmering on low heat for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, checking the meat for tenderness periodically.
Prevention: Allow adequate time for the braising process. Do not rush the simmer.
Broth is too spicy
Cause: Too much chipotle in adobo was added for your heat tolerance.
Fix: Stir in a splash of chicken broth or serve with a dollop of neutral dairy like sour cream or avocado slices to mellow the heat.
Prevention: Start with half the amount of chipotle peppers and add more to taste at the end.
Cultural Context
This stew draws heavy inspiration from Pozole Rojo, a traditional pre-Columbian Mexican soup celebrated during festivals and holidays. While authentic pozole often utilizes whole dried chilies deeply toasted and blended into a rich paste, this weeknight adaptation utilizes pantry-friendly chipotle in adobo to deliver complex smoke and heat in a fraction of the time.
