Pozole

Pozole Rojo

A festive Mexican stew of tender pork and hominy in a deep, brick-red broth of dried guajillo and ancho chillies, served at the table with a colourful array of fresh garnishes.

Prep

30 min

Cook

180 min

Total

210 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) dried hominy (maíz pozolero), must be nixtamalised dried corn; canned hominy is an acceptable shortcut — use 1.2 kg / 2 lb 11 oz, drained and rinsed
• •900 g (2 lb) pork shoulder (Boston butt), bone-in, cut into 5 cm / 2 in chunks; substitute chicken leg quarters for pozole blanco/verde
• •1 head garlic, half for the broth, half for the chilli sauce
• •1 large white onion (1 large) white onion, halved — one half for broth, one half for sauce
• •2 g (1 tsp) kosher salt, plus more to taste
• •8 dried guajillo chillies dried guajillo chillies, stems and seeds removed; do not substitute with fresh chillies
• •4 dried ancho chillies dried ancho chillies, stems and seeds removed; gives colour and sweetness
• •2 g (¾ tsp) Mexican oregano, oregano; Mediterranean oregano is sharper — use slightly less
• •1 g (½ tsp) ground cumin
• •250 g (½ lb) green cabbage, finely shredded, for serving
• •6 radishes radishes, finely sliced, for serving
• •2 limes limes, cut into wedges, for serving
• •30 g (1 cup) dried Mexican oregano, for the table
• •1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped, for serving
• •1 packet dried ground chile piquín or árbol, optional, for those who want extra heat
• •tostadas or crispy tortilla strips, to taste, for serving

Steps

1. 1 Rinse the dried hominy under cold water and place in a large bowl. Cover with at least 5 cm / 2 in of water and soak overnight (8–12 hours). Drain.
2. 2 In a large stockpot, combine the soaked hominy, pork, half the garlic, half the onion (skinned) and 1 tsp / 2 g of the salt. Cover with 3.5 litres / 14 cups of cold water. Bring slowly to a simmer, skimming any grey foam that rises.
3. 3 Simmer partially covered for 2½ to 3 hours, until the hominy grains have burst open ('florecido') and are tender, and the pork pulls apart easily with a fork. Top up with hot water if needed to keep everything submerged.
4. 4 Meanwhile, make the chilli sauce: place the guajillo and ancho chillies in a dry saucepan over medium heat and toast 30 seconds per side until fragrant — do not let them burn. Cover with boiling water and soak for 20 minutes.
5. 5 Drain the chillies, reserving the soaking liquid. Blend the chillies with the remaining garlic, remaining raw onion, oregano, cumin, 1 tsp / 2 g salt and 250 ml / 1 cup of the soaking liquid until completely smooth. Strain through a fine sieve.
6. 6 Ladle about 500 ml / 2 cups of the hot pozole broth into the chilli purée to temper it, then stir the mixture back into the pot. Simmer another 20–30 minutes so the flavours meld. Taste and adjust salt.
7. 7 Remove the pork pieces, shred the meat with two forks (discarding any large fat caps) and return the meat to the pot. Skim excess fat from the surface if desired.
8. 8 Prepare the garnishes: finely shred the cabbage, thinly slice the radishes, chop the coriander, and arrange everything in small bowls alongside the lime wedges, oregano, and ground chile.
9. 9 Ladle the pozole into deep bowls making sure each portion gets plenty of hominy and pork. Top with shredded cabbage, radish slices, coriander, a squeeze of lime, a pinch of oregano and a sprinkle of chile to taste.
10. 10 Pork doneness cue: the pork is safely cooked when it reaches 71°C / 160°F internal and shreds easily with a fork; hominy is done when the kernels have fully 'bloomed' (split open like a flower) and are tender, not chalky in the centre.