Pozole Rojo {Pork & Hominy Stew}
Pozole Rojo {Pork & Hominy Stew}
This beautiful hearty stew all began with a Slow Braised Boston Butt Pork Roast on Sunday. We bought the biggest one we could find (6+lbs.) so we could enjoy a variety of meals from it’s goodness.
We’ve made Pozole (Posole Rojo) several times, but never when we would actually be writing about it and sharing it with all of you. So I did a good bit of research before tackling this one. And I’m oh so glad I did. The star ingredient, in my opinion, are the dried red chiles. Yes, the slow braised pork and hominy are the signature ingredients, but turning dried chili pods into a fabulous red sauce just feels like authentic Mexican cooking.
I had done my recipe research and now had a short list of ingredients to pick up and remembered co-workers talking about this wonderful Mexican market not a mile from the office. Why hadn’t I been there before now….oh my wow! Our big little town has the usual big box and chain stores, fast food restaurants and shopping outlets, and enough gas stations and dry cleaners to satisfy most. However, for those who aren’t afraid to veer off the path ever so slightly…we have some wonderfully colorful establishments worthy of our patronage as well.
This Pozole Rojo recipe caused me to visit just one of these hidden gems, Carniceria Hernandez Taqueria. I walked in with “Guajillo Chiles” written on scratch paper, only to discover a fabulous market with gorgeous produce, hand cut meats, authentic Mexican cuisine cooked to order, and walls of dried chiles, herbs, and spices. Bingo!
The pods although considered dried are actually pliable. The recipe instructed me to remove the stems, large veins, and seeds from the dried chiles. I found using scissors to cut the length of the pepper the easiest way to accomplish this. You then lightly roast them in a hot cast iron skillet, cover them with boiling water to soften, then blend them with garlic and onion into the fabulous red chili sauce.
This Pozole Rojo recipe on Simply Recipes has some wonderful step by step instructions. Because we started with cooked pulled pork, we adjusted accordingly. The stew itself is quite basic. It is the myriad of garnishes and toppings that allows each who enjoys Pozole Rojo to make it their own. Delicioso!
Pozole Rojo {Pork & Hominy Stew}
Ingredients
- 8 cups broth pork or chicken
- 4 cups cooked and shredded Boston butt pork roast
- 1 tsp. dried oregano preferably Mexican
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 4 oz. dried guajillo red chiles or ancho chiles or a combination of both
- 3 cups boiling-hot water
- 1/2 large white onion diced
- 2-3 garlic cloves sliced
- 1-2 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbl. canola oil
- two 30-ounce cans white hominy rinsed and drained
For garnishes…
- sliced radishes avocado, cabbage, diced white onion, cilantro, limes, tostada shells
Instructions
- Shred about 4 cups of cooked pork and reserve.
- For the red chili sauce, use scissors to cut the chiles lengthwise and remove the stems, large veins, and seeds. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat, working in batches add chiles in single layer, turning with tongs for about 1 minutes until slightly softened. Place the chiles in a medium sauce pan, add 3 cups boiling water, cover and allow to soak for at least 30 minutes.
- In a blender purée diced onion, sliced garlic, and 1 tsp. salt with chiles and soaking liquid until smooth. Strain sauce through a mesh seive to remove the tough bits.
- Add canola oil to cast iron skillet over medium heat and carefully sauté the chile paste for 3-4 minutes until smooth and thickened. Add more salt to taste.
- In a large dutch oven, combine broth with red chili sauce, oregano, and cumin. Bring to a boil, the reduce to a low simmer. Add in cooked pulled pork and rinsed and drained hominy. Simmer pozole 30 minutes and, if necessary, season with salt.
- Serve pozole with assorted garnishes and tostada shells.
Notes
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17 Comments
Doug Rapp
Girl Friend,this is a real deal recipe,don’t give it up,been cooking mexican for 60 yrs. and they are still lined up.
Carolina
I haven’t tried your recipe but the steps are on point…. I’m mexican the only thing I do different is boil the meat in chunks…. Great recipe with easy instructions and the picture is perfect!!!
libby
Thank you so much Carolina. I love discovering new recipes and Pozole has become a favorite for us.
Bam's Kitchen
I can’t wait to try this dish this weekend. Fantastic flavours and perfect for sharing. Just shared on Facebook! Thanks, BAM
libby
Hope you love this like we do!! Appreciate your love support.
killer pozole
I loved this recipe. I’m Mexican and it tasted just like grandma used to make. I read it once then did my own things. Great great great!
libby
Thank you so much, what a wonderful comment. Glad you enjoyed it, we love it too!!
Yasmin
I’m sure this recipe is so delicious, but this isn’t the real recipe. I’m mexican, trust me!
libby
Ha, well I try my best ;) I would LOVE a chance to learn some authentic Mexican recipes. Maybe some day. Thank you for visiting. Libby
Bessie Perez
Libby it looks good and sounds really good. So me being from Galveston TX born and raised my mom never knew how to cook so I’m taking risk all over the place and so far my husband is liking all the recipes and his mom and dad are from mexico. He said it’s because I cook with love. Libby you must cook with love. ;)
Bessie Perez
What is the real recipe then? I need to make some pozole for my husband today.
Bessie Perez
Libby the real recipe comment was for Yasmin. Yasmin please respond. Help please ;)
Lisa Mata
“Real” recipe sounds harsh. Tradionally it’s made with a huge pig head. It’s inconvenient since you need a huge stockpot and it gives us a small amount of meat. People have wised up and started using picnic and butt. Others like my mother-in-law mix in chicken. Grandmas never measure anything. Last year I bought everything precisely weighed and then weighed again after she was done. This recipe comes really close if I halve her recipe. Only difference is that she uses 3 chiles.. two of which you mention. Chile árbol is the 3rd chile and if you wanted to add it to Libby’s recipe, it would be like 5 chiles…that’s all you need since it’s mega hot. Libby’s instructions are great. BTW, I live 1 mile away from Mexico in Texas.
libby
Thank you so much Lisa for your comment.
Nicole (FoodBlogLife)
Hi Libby!
This is just gorgeous and I feel like I want to grab a bowl right out of my computer ;)
libby
Thank you Nicole!! I do love this picture and it really does represent this stew beautifully.