Dinner · 60 min · mexican

Pozole Rojo

Dinner decisions, handled: Pozole Rojo pairs pork shoulder with white hominy for a 60-minute Mexican dinner.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 2 lb Pork shoulder
• 2 cans White hominy
• 8 Guajillo chiles
• 3 Ancho chiles
• 1 White onion
• 5 cloves Garlic
• 2 tsp Mexican oregano
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 cups Shredded cabbage
• 6 Radishes
• 2 Lime
• 2 cups Tortilla chips

Steps

1. Cut the pork shoulder into 2-inch chunks. Big chunks matter — they stay juicy through the long simmer and shred into satisfying ribbons.
2. Cover the pork with 10 cups of water in a heavy pot with the bay leaves and half the onion. Bring to a boil, skim the foam, then drop to a bare simmer and cook 45 minutes, partially covered.
3. Meanwhile, stem and seed the dried chiles. Toast them in a dry skillet for 30 seconds a side — you want them fragrant and pliable, not scorched, because burnt chile turns bitter.
4. Cover the toasted chiles with hot water and soak 15 minutes. Blend them with the remaining onion, garlic, oregano, and a cup of their soaking liquid until completely smooth.
5. Strain the chile sauce through a fine sieve into the simmering pot, pressing every last bit through. Straining is what gives pozole its silky, non-gritty broth.
6. Drain the hominy and add it to the pot. Simmer 20 more minutes, until the broth is brick red and the hominy blooms soft. Season boldly with salt.
7. Shred the pork with two forks right in the pot, or against the side of the bowl. Taste the broth — it should be rich, chile-warm, and well salted.
8. Serve in deep bowls with shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, lime wedges, and a handful of crushed tortilla chips on top. Everyone garnishes their own — that is part of the ritual.

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