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Authentic Pozole Rojo with Pork

Close-up of a white bowl filled with vibrant red Pozole rojo, featuring hominy and generous amounts of shredded pork or beef.
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Make a traditional, flavorful Mexican hominy stew featuring tender pork cooked in a deep red chile broth. This recipe is perfect for celebrations like Christmas Eve.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 1 large white onion, halved
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 (29 ounce) cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
  • 12 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
  • 4 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
  • 4 cups water, for soaking chiles
  • 1/4 cup reserved pork cooking liquid
  • For Serving: shredded cabbage or lettuce, sliced radishes, diced white onion, lime wedges, dried oregano

Instructions

  1. Place the pork shoulder, half onion, 2 garlic cloves, salt, oregano, and cumin in a large pot. Cover with water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the pork is very tender, about 1.5 to 2 hours. Skim off any foam that rises.
  2. Remove the pork from the broth and set aside to cool slightly. Strain the cooking broth and reserve 8 cups of this liquid. Shred the pork once cool enough to handle.
  3. While the pork cooks, prepare the chile sauce. Place the dried guajillo and ancho chiles in a saucepan and cover with 4 cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, cover, and let soak for 30 minutes until soft.
  4. Transfer the softened chiles and their soaking liquid to a blender. Add the remaining 2 garlic cloves and 1/4 cup of the reserved pork cooking liquid. Blend until completely smooth.
  5. Strain the chile mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing down on the solids to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids. This is your red chile sauce.
  6. In the large pot used for the pork, combine the 8 cups of reserved cooking broth and the strained red chile sauce. Bring to a simmer.
  7. Add the shredded pork and the drained hominy to the broth. Simmer gently for at least 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to combine. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
  8. Serve the pozole hot in bowls. Offer the garnishes—cabbage, radishes, onion, lime, and oregano—on the side for guests to customize their bowls.

Notes

  • For a deeper red color, you can add 2 dried árbol chiles to the soaking chiles, but reduce the amount if you prefer less heat.
  • This Mexican hominy stew tastes better the next day, so feel free to make it ahead of time.
  • Use good quality dried chiles for the best flavor in your pork and red chile soup.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingbyjade.com/pozole-rojo-recipe-pork-red-chile-soup/