Pozole Rojo

• servings: 6-8

Ingredients

1-1.5 lbs pork butt (or shoulder, any stewing cut is fine)

1 can of hominy, drained and rinsed (about 25 oz is fine)

2 quarts of chicken stock (7-8 cups)

1 yellow onion, roughly sliced

¼ cup garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

3 guajillo chiles

2 chile ancho

2 tbsp dried oregano

2 tbsp black pepper, cracked

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp sesame seeds

3 bay leaves

Neutral high heat oil

Salt and lime juice to taste.

Directions

Add some oil to a small pot. Remove the top and stems from the dried chilis, and remove the seeds from the inside. Add these dried chilis along with the onions, garlic, and all spices except the bay leaves. Heat the pot over medium heat until everything is nicely toasted and slightly aromatic.

Add just enough stock to the pot to cover everything, then bring the mixture up to a boil, covered. After it’s reached a boil, pour the mixture into a blender. Add a little bit of stock if needed and blend until everything is well combined.

In a large pot, add about a tbsp of oil and sear the pork on as many sides as possible. After the pork is seared, add the blended ingredients along with the rest of the stock, the hominy, and the bay leaves. Bring it up to a boil and simmer covered on low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the pork is fork tender. Salt it to taste to finish.

Serve hot with lime juice in each portion to taste.

Notes

‘Pozole’ is a traditional Mexican soup or stew made with hominy and meat. ‘Pozole Rojo’ is one of the three main types of pozole, and gets its name from the red sauce made from chilis, giving the stew a red color. Pozole is a celebratory dish in Mexican cuisine, and is great for a cold day. The ingredients are readily available in American grocery stores for cheap, which makes this a very accessible dish to make.