Pozole goes back to pre-Hispanic Mexico, built around nixtamalized corn (hominy). The red version gets its color and soul from dried guajillo and ancho chiles. Half the joy is the table of toppings everyone piles on themselves.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb pork shoulder, in chunks
  • 2 cans hominy (drained) or dried, cooked
  • 5 guajillo + 3 ancho chiles, soaked
  • 4 cloves garlic + ½ onion
  • 1 tsp cumin + 1 tsp oregano + 2 bay leaves
  • Salt to taste
  • Garnish: cabbage/lettuce, radish, onion, oregano, lime, tostadas

Method

  1. Put the pork in a large pot with the onion, garlic and bay leaves. Cover with water, bring to a boil, skim, then simmer ~1.5 hours until tender. Keep that broth.
  2. Soak the dried chiles until soft, then blend with a little broth and garlic. Strain the purée into the pot for a smooth, clean red broth.
  3. Add the hominy and simmer 30 minutes so everything melds. Season with salt, cumin and oregano.
  4. Shred or chunk the pork back into the pot.
  5. Serve piping hot, letting everyone top their own bowl with cabbage, radish, onion, oregano and lime, with tostadas on the side.

🍲 Strain the chiles

Pushing the blended chiles through a sieve removes skins and grit, leaving that signature silky red broth. Don't skip it.