A bowl of comfort food from south of the border.
Pozole. It’s soup perfected. This hearty, spicy soup is built on a base of hominy, melt in your mouth pork, and a special chili pepper blend. Top with shredded cabbage, avocado, queso fresco, fresh squeezed lime, and some sliced radishes and you’ve got yourself a big old bowl of comfort. Serving on a rainy day is not required, but is highly recommended.
For this version of pozole rojo, we’ve added in pinto beans along with the smoky flavor of chipotle for some extra heartiness and flavor. For the red chili sauce, we’re using a special ratio of ancho and guajillo peppers, which brings a nice mix earthy and fruit flavor to the party. Then, we’re also adding in some chipotle for that signature smoky heat. Note that the pepper ratio below is for a more mild broth. If you’re looking for heat, simply add in more chipotle peppers to the mix.
Serve the soup up with your favorite toppings and some chipotle cheddar cornbread for a comfort meal your stomach won’t soon forget.
Time You Need
- Prep: 30 minutes
- Cooking: ~ 3 and a half hours
- Serves 6-8
What You Need
- ~2.5-3 lb. Pork shoulder, cubed into 1-2 inch pieces
- 2 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 cloves of garlic, whole
- Olive oil
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 3 cans of hominy, drained and rinsed
- 2 cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes, drained
- 5 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 dried chipotle chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 3 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 2 dried California or ancho dried chiles, stems and seeds removed
- For topping: Thinly sliced radishes, chopped cabbage, avocado slices, fresh crumbled queso fresco or shredded cheddar cheese, limes, and sour cream
What You Do
- In a large stock pot, add the chicken broth and 10 cups of water and bring to a low simmer. In another smaller pot, boil 4 cups of water. Place the dried chiles in a glass or sturdy boiling water proof bowl. Add the boiling water to the chiles and let them soak for 30 minutes.
- Season the pork with salt and pepper, and a dash or two of cumin. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a large pan on medium heat. Then add the pork and brown the cubes of pork evenly on all sides. Remove and set to the side. Using the pork juices, add in the diced onion and cook for 5 minutes. At the three minute mark, toss in garlic and let cook until tender.
- Then add the meat, onions, and garlic to the large stockpot. You’ll also add the cumin, coriander, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Stir in then add the hominy, pinto beans, and fire roasted tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, let’s start firing up those chiles.
- In a blender or food processor, add the soaked chiles, some salt, olive oil, a dash of cumin, and the 4 whole garlic cloves. Also add in about 3 cups of the liquid that the chiles were soaking in. Blend to form a smooth sauce.
- Using a strainer, strain the sauce into the large stockpot, straining out and large bits or chunks.
- Stir the sauce into the pot, and return to a light simmer. Partially cover the stockpot, and continue to cook for about 3 hours, until the pork is tender. While cooking, continue to skim off any excess fat, and taste and season to your liking.
- During the cooking process, you can also prep the garnishes: slices the radish, dice the avocado, and cut the limes.
- When done cooking, spoon the pozole into serving bowls. Top with sliced radish, chopped cabbage, avocado, sour cream, crumbled queso fresco, a lime wedge and enjoy!