Authentic Mexican Pozole Rojo with Pork

Why you’ll love it

• Big flavor, little effort: most of the time is hands-off simmering.
• Mild, not fiery: guajillo and ancho chiles bring color and depth, not heat.
• Perfect for a crowd: set up a toppings bar and let everyone build their bowl.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the soup

• 3 lb (1.4 kg) boneless pork shoulder, cut in 2-inch chunks
• 1 white onion, halved
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp salt, plus more to taste
• 12 cups (3 liters) water
• 2 cans (25 oz / 700 g each) white hominy, drained and rinsed

For the red chile sauce

• 6 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
• 3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/4 white onion
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Toppings

• Thinly sliced radishes, shredded green cabbage, chopped white onion
• Dried oregano, lime wedges, chile flakes and tostadas

Step-by-step method

1. Simmer the pork. Put the pork, halved onion, garlic, bay leaves, salt and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, then cover partially and simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, until the pork is tender.

2. Soak the chiles. Toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet 20–30 seconds per side, just until fragrant (don’t let them burn or they turn bitter). Cover with hot water and soak 20 minutes.

3. Blend the sauce. Blend the soaked chiles with 1 cup of the pork broth, garlic, onion, oregano and cumin until completely smooth. Strain through a fine sieve.

4. Fry the sauce. Heat the oil in a skillet and pour in the chile sauce (careful, it splatters). Cook 5 minutes, stirring, until it darkens slightly.

5. Bring it together. Remove the onion and bay leaves from the pot. Lift out the pork, shred it into big pieces and return it. Stir in the chile sauce and hominy.

6. Final simmer. Simmer 30–40 minutes more, until the hominy is plump and the flavors blend. Taste and adjust salt.

7. Serve. Ladle into deep bowls and let everyone add radishes, cabbage, onion, oregano and plenty of lime.

Tips for the best result

• Pork shoulder is key: its fat keeps the meat juicy and flavors the broth.
• Straining the chile sauce gives you a silky broth without bits of skin.
• Shortcut: cook the pork in a pressure cooker for 35 minutes instead of 1 1/2 hours.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months (without toppings). It tastes even better the next day. Reheat gently over medium heat.