Pozole Rojo (Authentic Mexican Pork & Hominy Stew)

Ingredients

• 4 dried guajillo chiles
• 4 dried ancho chiles
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 – 2 1/2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat & then cut into rough chunks
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper- to taste
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 10 cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano (or regular oregano)
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder- optional
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 (25-ounce) cans white hominy, rinsed & drained (I use Juanita’s)
• 8 cups (64 ounces) chicken broth
• Thinly sliced cabbage, sliced radish, sliced jalapeños, cotija cheese, chopped avocado, lime wedges & fresh chopped cilantro, as desired.

Instructions

1. 1

   Prep the chiles: Cut the stems off the guajillo and ancho chiles. Then shake out the inner seeds within each chile and place them into a large bowl. Cover the chiles with boiling water (ensuring they’re fully submerged) and set aside for the chiles to soak and rehydrate. Meanwhile, move on with the recipe.

2. 2

   Brown the pork: In a large dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat, add the oil. When hot, gently swirl the pot around to evenly coat the bottom. Working in batches, add some of the pork chunks into the pot, careful not to overcrowd. Brown the pork until a nice sear appears, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Season the pork with salt/pepper- to taste. Transfer the browned pork onto a clean plate/small baking sheet and repeat the process until all the pork is browned. Then set the browned pork chunks aside and reduce the heat to medium.

3. 3

   Sauté the aromatics: Add the chopped onion into the pot. Sauté, while stirring every so often, until the onions are tender, about 3-4 minutes. Then add the garlic and continue cooking until the mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. 4

   Blend the chiles: Back to the soaked chiles, place the soaked chiles into the body of a high-powered blender or food processor along with 1 cup of the soaking liquid- do not discard remaining though. Pulse to combine until the chiles are completely smooth. Add in a splash more of the soaking liquid if the mixture is too thick (or to help swish/clean out the blender/processor).

5. 5

   Build the pozole rojo: Return the browned pork into the pot with any residual juices that have been collected. Add the blended chile mixture into the pot along with the cumin, oregano, chipotle powder (if using), bay leaves, hominy, and broth. Stir until fully combined and increase the heat to medium-high to bring to a gentle boil.

6. 6

   Sim-simma: Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the stew simmer for 1 ½ – 2 hours, stirring the pozole every so often, until the pork is extra tender and pulls apart easily.

7. 7

   Serve: After simmering, discard the bay leaves, give the stew a taste test and adjust with more salt/pepper, if desired. Ladle the pozole rojo into serving bowls and top the stew with desired toppings like shredded cabbage, sliced radish/jalapeños, cotija cheese, chopped avocado, lime wedges, and/or fresh chopped cilantro. Enjoy!