Authentic Mexican Pozole
Traditional Mexican pozole with tender pork, hominy, and a rich red chile broth.
30 mins
Prep Time
3 hours
Cook Time
6
Servings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork shoulder, cut into chunks
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp salt
- 6 cups water
- 2 cans (29 oz each) white hominy, drained and rinsed
- 5 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Salt to taste
Nutrition Facts
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Instructions
Cook the pork: In a large pot, combine pork, half the onion, 2 garlic cloves, bay leaves, salt, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours until pork is tender.
Prepare the chile sauce: Toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet for 30 seconds per side. Soak in hot water for 15 minutes until soft. Blend with 2 garlic cloves, cumin, oregano, and 1 cup of the soaking liquid until smooth.
Strain the chile sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible.
Finish the pozole: Remove pork from broth and shred. Strain the broth and return to pot. Add hominy and shredded pork. Heat oil in a skillet and fry the chile sauce for 5 minutes, then stir into the pozole.
Simmer the pozole for 30 minutes to blend flavors. Adjust salt to taste.
Serve hot with toppings: Shredded cabbage, radishes, lime wedges, chopped onion, oregano, and tostadas on the side.
Chef's Tips
- Chile Tip: Wear gloves when handling dried chiles to avoid skin irritation.
- Time Saver: Use a pressure cooker to reduce pork cooking time to about 45 minutes.
- Spice Control: Adjust the number of chiles based on your heat preference.
- Make Ahead: Pozole tastes even better the next day as flavors develop.
- Vegetarian Option: Substitute pork with mushrooms and use vegetable broth.
