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This Mexican pozole recipe features a rich broth, tender pork, a subtly spicy red sauce, and tons of flavor.
What Is Pozole?
Pozole is a traditional Mexican stew made with meat (usually pork, but sometimes chicken), hominy, chile peppers, and various seasonings. It’s traditionally topped with lettuce, cabbage, limes, onions, avocados, and/or radishes.
Pozole verde is made with a green sauce, while pozole rojo, such as this one, is made with a red sauce.
How to Make Pozole
You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics:
Pozole Ingredients
These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this classic pozole recipe at home:
- Pork: This recipe starts with a pound of boneless pork shoulder, a pound of boneless pork loin, and pork neck bones. The dish requires three different cuts of pork because It's important to have both lean and fatty cuts, according to recipe creator Consuelo Aguilar.
- Water: You’ll need just enough water to boil pork and chile sauce ingredients, plus two cups of water to blend with the chile sauce.
- Garlic: Cook a head of garlic with pork, then blend one clove of garlic in the chile sauce.
- Seasonings: Season pozole with salt, dried oregano, and ground cumin.
- Tomato and guajillo chiles: Make red chile sauce with a plum tomato and dried guajillo chiles.
- Hominy: For this pozole recipe, you’ll need two cans of drained white hominy.
- Toppings: Top pozole with lettuce or cabbage, a diced onion, and four quartered limes.
How to Make Pozole Rojo
Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make this flavorful pozole recipe:
- Boil, then simmer pork with garlic and salt until the meat is cooked through.
- Boil tomatoes and chiles together. Drain.
- Blend tomato and chiles with salt, garlic, oregano, cumin, and water.
- Shred pork, then discard bones and garlic.
- Stir sauce and pork into the pot, then simmer until flavors have melded.
- Ladle pozole into bowls and finish each serving with toppings.
How to Store Pozole
Store the pozole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Store the toppings separately.
Can You Freeze Pozole?
You can freeze the stew pozole for up to three months, but avoid freezing the toppings — those are best fresh. Thaw the pozole in the refrigerator overnight.
Editorial contributions by Corey Williams
Ingredients
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1 pound boneless pork shoulder, cubed
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1 pound boneless pork loin, cubed
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½ pound pork neck bones
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water to cover
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1 head garlic, cloves peeled
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salt to taste
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1 large plum tomato
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4 ounces dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
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1 clove garlic
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¼ teaspoon dried oregano
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1 pinch ground cumin
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2 cups water
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2 (16 ounce) cans white hominy, drained
Toppings:
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shredded lettuce or cabbage
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1 small onion, diced
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4 limes, quartered
Directions
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Place pork shoulder, pork loin, and pork neck bones in a large pot; cover with water. Add 1 head of garlic and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until meat is tender and cooked through, about 1 hour. Stir in hominy; bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
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Meanwhile, place tomato and guajillo chiles in a pot and add enough water to cover; bring to a boil. Cook until chiles have softened, about 15 minutes; drain.
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Place tomato and chiles with salt, 1 clove garlic, oregano, and cumin in a blender; add 2 cups water. Blend until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and set chile sauce aside.
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Transfer pork to a work surface and shred with 2 forks. Discard pork bones and garlic.
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Stir chile sauce and shredded pork into the pot. Simmer pozole until flavors have blended, about 5 minutes.
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Ladle pozole into serving bowls and top with shredded cabbage and onion; serve lime wedge on the side.
Recipe Tip
This dish requires different cuts of pork: shoulder, loin, and leg. It's essential to have both lean and fatty cuts.
Editor's Note:
The cooking time for the hominy has been changed based on review feedback. The original recipe called for the hominy to simmer for 2 hours.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
408 | Calories |
17g | Fat |
35g | Carbs |
30g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings Per Recipe 8 | |
Calories 408 | |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Fat 17g | 22% |
Saturated Fat 6g | 28% |
Cholesterol 81mg | 27% |
Sodium 517mg | 22% |
Total Carbohydrate 35g | 13% |
Dietary Fiber 9g | 33% |
Total Sugars 5g | |
Protein 30g | 60% |
Vitamin C 21mg | 23% |
Calcium 78mg | 6% |
Iron 3mg | 17% |
Potassium 756mg | 16% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.