CrustyCrab
Recipes

MexicanPork shoulder

Pozole Rojo

Pork shoulder simmered in a Dutch oven until it shreds, then finished with hominy in a strained guajillo, ancho and árbol broth and piled with crisp toppings.

Calories
420kcal
Protein
24g
Carbs
20g
Fat
26g
Total, 45 min active
3 hr 15min
Servings
8

Nutrition is per serving.

Ingredients

Pozole

  • 2 lb pork shoulder, in 2 in chunks
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 large white onion, quartered
  • 6 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 8–10 cups water or chicken broth
  • 2 cans (25 oz each) white hominy, drained and rinsed

Chile sauce

  • 4 dried guajillo chiles
  • 2 dried ancho chiles
  • 2 dried chiles de árbol
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1½ cups hot water, for soaking

Toppings

  • Shredded green cabbage, sliced radishes, lime wedges, finely diced white onion, sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, dried oregano, crushed árbol, crema, and tostadas or tortilla chips

Steps

  1. Brown the pork. Pat the pork dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 6–8 qt Dutch oven over medium-high and brown the pork in batches, 2–3 minutes per side.
  2. Build the broth. Return all the pork to the pot with the onion, smashed garlic, bay leaves, salt and peppercorns. Add enough water or broth to cover the pork by 1–2 in. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer.
  3. Simmer. Partially cover and simmer 1½–2 hours, skimming any foam, until the pork is very tender and shreds easily.
  4. Toast the chiles. Meanwhile, stem and seed all the chiles and toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat 20–30 seconds per side, until fragrant but not burnt.
  5. Soak. Cover the chiles with the hot water and soak 15–20 minutes, until pliable.
  6. Blend and strain. Blend the chiles with the garlic, oregano, cumin, pepper, salt and 1 cup of the soaking liquid until completely smooth, 1–2 minutes. Press through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the solids.
  7. Combine. Remove the onion, garlic and bay leaves from the broth. Stir in the chile sauce and hominy.
  8. Finish. Return to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Shred any large chunks of pork with two forks and adjust the salt.
  9. Serve. Ladle into bowls with plenty of pork and hominy, and set out the toppings.

Notes

  • Heat: two árbol chiles give a noticeable but moderate heat. Use one for milder, or three to four for more.
  • Make ahead: pozole tastes better the next day. Chill it overnight and lift off the solidified fat for a cleaner broth.
  • Consistency: add broth or water if it’s too thick; simmer uncovered to reduce if it’s thin.
  • Dried hominy works too; cook it separately first according to the package.
  • Pressure cooker version: brown the pork on sauté, add the aromatics and 6 cups liquid, and cook on high pressure 35 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. Add the chile sauce and hominy and simmer on sauté 20 minutes.