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The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
571 | Calories |
34g | Fat |
26g | Carbs |
38g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 6 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 571 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 34g | 43% |
Saturated Fat 12g | 61% |
Cholesterol 136mg | 45% |
Sodium 1104mg | 48% |
Total Carbohydrate 26g | 9% |
Dietary Fiber 5g | 18% |
Total Sugars 4g | |
Protein 38g | |
Vitamin C 7mg | 35% |
Calcium 81mg | 6% |
Iron 3mg | 19% |
Potassium 579mg | 12% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
Pozole is a super easy and amazingly tasty stew made with pork, dried chiles, and hominy. This recipe for the traditional Mexican stew is a pozole rojo and features red chile peppers.
To some, this soup is at its best thanks to the garnishes, which provide balance and flavor in addition to decoration. The stew is simmered for a long time to let the flavor develop. While cooking it on the stove is common, you can cook it in an ovenproof pot (e.g., Dutch oven) in the oven to free up the stovetop.
Pozole is traditionally served with warm corn tortillas to help soak up the savory broth. It's topped with a variety of fresh, flavorful, and crunchy garnishes, including cilantro, scallion, radishes, and green cabbage. Set these and other garnish options on the table and let everyone top their bowl to their liking.
Click Play to See This Traditional Pozole Recipe Come Together
"This was a tasty dish and a great way to use pork shoulder. I used dried guajillo peppers in the dish. It took about 5 cups of water to cover the pork, and I ended up adding another cup near the end of cooking. Overall, it was a delicious stew." —Diana Rattray
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Ingredients
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2 pounds pork shoulder
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5 to 6 cups cool water, or enough to cover
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3 dried red New Mexico chiles, or other large, mild, dried red chiles
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3 cloves garlic
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2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
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6 cups hominy, cooked or canned
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1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
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1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, for garnish
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1 large thinly sliced scallion, for garnish
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3 medium thinly sliced radishes, for garnish
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1/2 cup shredded green cabbage, for garnish
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Lime wedges, for serving, optional
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
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Cut the pork into chunks. Fairly big pieces are traditional, but if you prefer, cut the pork into bite-sized pieces.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
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Put the pork in a large pot and add enough cool water to cover it by about 2 inches (approximately 5 to 6 cups). Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that forms in the pot.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
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Remove the stem and seeds from the chiles, and peel the garlic. Add the chiles, garlic, and salt to the pork.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
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Reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer, cover, and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 90 minutes. Alternatively, put the covered, ovenproof pot in a 350 F oven for the same amount of time.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
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After the pork has cooked, add the hominy and the Mexican oregano. Continue cooking at a simmer until the flavors blend and the pork is very tender, for another hour. Add additional water, if necessary, to keep the moisture at a good level, return the mixture to a boil and reduce back down to a simmer when needed. Add salt to taste.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
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Serve the pozole in deep bowls.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
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Garnish with chopped cilantro, scallion, radish, and green cabbage. If you like, squeeze fresh lime juice on top. Enjoy.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Tip
- If you are using canned hominy, make sure to drain it before adding it to the stew.
- To cook dried hominy, place 1 cup in a large pot and cover it with cold water. Bring to a boil and add plenty of salt to season it. Reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer, and cook until just tender, about 2 hours. Drain and use as directed in the recipe.
- Oregano is not the same plant as Mexican oregano but will work as a substitute. Since it's more flavorful, use 2/3 teaspoon dried common oregano in the stew.
Recipe Variation
- For a more flavorful broth, remove the dried peppers after the first 90-minute boiling time. Chop or puree them with a bit of the water, then add them back into the soup.
- Another option for extra flavor is to add a pork shank or knucklebone to the pot.
- Change up the traditional way of serving the stew by adding toasted cumin seeds or slices of avocado with the garnishes.
- Add a dollop of sour cream or crumble queso fresco on top of the stew if you like.
Is It Pozole or Posole?
Both pozole and posole are accepted spellings for this stew. The name originates from the Nahuatl language. Alternative spellings include pozolé, pozolli, and pasole, though they're not as commonly used. It's thought that pozole means "hominy," but it's also interpreted as "frothy."
What's the Difference Between Pozole Rojo and Verde?
The types of chiles and meat used in the stew distinguish pozole rojo and pozole verde. This pork recipe is for pozole rojo, and the red chile peppers produce a red (rojo) broth. In pozole verde, green chiles (e.g., jalapeños) and tomatillos create a green (verde) broth, and it most often uses chicken.
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