Red Pork Pozole

• servings: 8-12

Ingredients

FOR THE MEAT AND BROTH:

•2 to 4 pounds bone-in pork shoulder, chopped into large chunk

•1 white or yellow onion, peeled and sliced

•7 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

•1 tablespoon salt, or to taste

•2 bay leaves

•3 black peppercorns, roughly cracked

FOR THE CHILE SAUCE:

Use half the total recipe for Elote Hatch Red Chile Sauce.

TO FINISH:

•4 to 6 cups cooked Rancho Gordo prepared hominy, plus 2 cups of reserved cooking liquid (see below or click here for cooking directions)

GARNISHES:

•Radishes, sliced thin

•Onion, finely chopped

•Chile de Árbol Salsa

•Dried Mexican oregano or Rancho Gordo Oregano Indio

•Romaine or iceberg lettuce, sliced very thin

•Mexican limes or key limes, quartered

•Avocado, cubed

•Corn tostadas and sour cream

Directions

FOR THE MEAT AND BROTH:

1In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, add the pork shoulder, onion, garlic, salt, bay leaves, peppercorns, and enough water to cover meat by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to a gentle simmer, using a lid to help regulate temperature as needed. Skim and discard any impurities that rise to the top. Continue to simmer for several hours, until meat is tender and falling off the bones.

2Remove the pork pieces to a platter. Once cool enough to handle, separate the meat, discarding bones and skin. Throw out broth. Combine with half of Elote recipe for hatch red chile. Add hominy. If too thick after, add beef broth.

You can break up large pieces of meat as needed, but generally they’ll do this on their own. Cook until warmed through.

4Ladle into bowls and serve with your preferred garnishes.

How to cook dried hominy: Sort and rinse hominy. Soak for 8 hours in cold water, then drain. Add to a large pot with 1 roughly chopped onion and cover with 2 inches of fresh water. Bring to a hard boil over high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook hominy uncovered until chewy and tender but not chalky, approximately 2 hours. Hominy usually flowers, like popcorn, when finished. Reserve 2 cups of cooking liquid for later use, then drain. One pound (or 2 cups) dried hominy yields about 7 cups when cooked, and substitutes for canned hominy in recipes with none of the rubbery texture.