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Pozole

Course: Main Courses - Pork, Soup
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

For the Broth:

  • 1 8- Pound Pork Shoulder or Butt Roast
  • 2 to 3 Pounds Pork Neck Bones Optional, For Best Flavor
  • Approximately 3 Quarts Water
  • 1 Yellow Onion Quartered
  • 5 Cloves Garlic Smashed
  • 2 Teaspoons Salt
  • 4 Bay Leaves
  • 3 Tablespoons Chicken Base Such as Better than Bouillon

For the Chili Sauce:

  • 6 Dried Gaujillo Chiles
  • 6 Dried Ancho Chiles
  • 1 to 3 Dried Chiles de Arbol Optional (For a Spicier Soup)
  • 5 Cloves Garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons Oil

For the Soup:

  • 2 25-Ounce Cans Mexican-Style Hominy Drained & Rinsed
  • 8 Ounces Tomato Sauce
  • 1 Teaspoon White Vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon Mexican Oregano
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
  • Salt & Pepper To Taste

For the Topping:

  • Cabbage Thinly Shredded
  • Yellow Onion Diced
  • Cilantro
  • Radishes Thinly Sliced
  • Avocado Sliced, Optional
  • Lime Wedges
  • Corn or Flour Tortillas Warmed, For Serving

Instructions

Make the Pork Broth:

  • Cut pork roast into 1-inch cubes, trimming and discarding large pieces of fat. You should have about 5 pounds pork cubes.
  • Add cubed pork, any bones from the pork roast and pork neck bones to a large stock pot. Add water to cover meat by about 2 inches.
  • Bring to a boil. Stir and skim off any foam or other crud that rises to the surface.
  • Add onion, garlic, salt, bay leaves and chicken base. Stir to combine, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Make the Chili Sauce:

  • For a mild, non-spicy soup, just use the gaujillo and ancho chilies. For a spicy version, add chilies de arbol, to taste. For a mixed crowd, make the mild version and serve with crushed red pepper flakes on the side.
  • While the broth is simmering, trim off stems and remove seeds and veins from the dried peppers.
  • In a medium saucepan, combine dried peppers and water to cover. Bring to a boil and the reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Transfer the rehydrated peppers to a blender, add the garlic and 1 cup of the liquid from the saucepan. Process on high speed until smooth. Strain chili sauce through a fine mesh strainer.
  • Note: at this point you should clean up the dishes used to make the chili sauce, as it will stain many types of surfaces.
  • Discard remaining liquid from the saucepan and add oil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium low, add the chili sauce and cook sauce for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Note: the sauce will spatter if you do not stir constantly.

Assemble the Soup:

  • When the broth finished, strain out the solids. Remove pork cubes and pork neck bones to separate bowls and discard the rest of the solids.
  • Clean out your stock pot and then strain the broth again through a fine mesh strainer back into the pot.
  • Add the pork cubes and hominy. Stir in the chili sauce, tomato sauce, vinegar, oregano and cumin. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed.
  • Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until pork is very tender. Taste again and adjust any seasonings as necessary.
  • While the soup is simmering, prepare the toppings. The toppings are an integral part of the dish and are not optional.

To Serve the Pozole:

  • Ladle the hot soup into individual bowls and top with cabbage, onion, cilantro, radish and avocado.
  • Squeeze a lime wedge over and serve with warm tortillas on the side.

Notes

Pick through the pork neck bones and remove any meat, being careful to avoid any small bone shards. The shredded pork can be used any way that you would use pulled pork, such as BBQ pork sandwiches, or use like carnitas and make tacos or burritos or to top nachos.