Pork Pozole Rojo

Pork Pozole Rojo with tender pork, hominy, and red chile broth is the ultimate Mexican comfort food. Hearty and tasty with all trimmings, this pork hominy stew makes a satisfying meal for holidays and year round.

Merry Christmas, everyone! I wish you all a wonderful holiday surrounded by loved ones!
Since it was just G and me at home for Christmas Eve, we decided to forgo our traditional roast beef-and-potatoes holiday meal for a full-on Mexican feast. We ordered a dozen tamales and a thermos full of champurrado from our neighborhood Mexican supermarket and cooked a potful of this pozole rojo.

What a delicious decision it turned out to be! Tasty and filling with fork-tender pork, hominy, flavorful red chile broth, and all the trimmings, it was the best thing to huddle around on a chilly winter day.

Pozole (or posole) is especially popular during the holiday season as a celebratory dish but it’s simple enough to make year round. We like switching it up from red chile variety to posole verde every time we’re craving a hearty bowl of this Mexican stew to warm our belly.

What Ingredients You Need for Posole

• Pork (see my suggested cuts below for the best taste)
• Hominy (maiz pozolero)- while dried hominy is traditionally used, you can skip the soaking and cooking required by using canned hominy you can just drain and add to the soup.
• Dried Chiles- you can use guajillo, ancho, California or a combination of these peppers.
• Onions, garlic, bay leaves, Mexican oregano, cumin, and salt and pepper to round up flavors.
• Shredded cabbage, sliced radish, chopped onions and cilantro, and lime wedges-top the bowl when serving with these garnishes for extra flavor and texture.

What Kind of Pork is Used in Pozole

Although you use almost any cut of pork, you haven’t had pozole, in my opinion, until you’ve tried it with the traditional combination of trotters, neck bones, and pork shoulder. The thick cap of fat and skin from the pork feet cook to melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and the tons of bones bring a wonderful depth of flavor.
Most Mexican grocery stores sell this pozole mix in one convenient package or you can buy each individually if you prefer to have more of one pork cut over the other. 

How Long Do You Cook Pork for Posole

Red pork pozole is very easy to make but it does take time a good few hours to cook.
I like to simmer the meat with aromatics garlic, onions, and bay leaves for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until almost tender. I then add the blended chile sauce to infuse flavor and continue to cook for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours until fork-tender.
I usually prepare a huge batch with about 6 to 8 pounds of meat to make it worth the while. Leftovers keep well in the fridge and actually taste better the next day!

Ingredients

6 pounds pork pozole mix (trotters, neck bones, and pork shoulder cubes)
5 quarts water
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1 head garlic, peeled and crushed
2 bay leaves
8 ounces dried Guajillo chile pods
1 tablespoon Mexican dry oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 can (108 ounces) hominy, drained

Garnishes

1 cabbage, shredded
2 bunches radishes, stemmed and sliced thinly
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 bunch cilantro, stemmed and chopped
limes, cut into wedges
tostadas

Instructions

• In a large deep pot, combine pork and water. Bring to a boil, skimming scum that floats on top.
• When the broth clears, add onion, garlic, bay leaves, and 2 tablespoons of salt. Lower heat, cover and simmer for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, adding more water in 1 cup increments as needed to maintain about 4 quarts.
• Remove stems off chili pods. Pry open and remove seeds. In a bowl, soak in about 2 cups warm water for about 30 minutes or until softened.
• In a blender, process softened chilies and the soaking liquid until smooth. Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the red sauce to remove any stray bits and pieces.
• Add red sauce to the pot of simmering meat. Add Mexican oregano and cumin. 
• Add hominy. Continue to simmer, covered, for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until meat is fork tender. Season with salt to taste. 
• Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with toppings. Serve piping hot with tostadas and lime wedges.