Pozole Rojo
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Country of Origin
Mexico
Description
Pozole Rojo is a hearty, ancestral Mexican soup made with large white hominy kernels simmered alongside pork shoulder in a fragrant guajillo and ancho chili broth. Dating back to pre-Columbian rituals, Pozole remains a quintessential centerpiece dish for holidays, weekend family gatherings, and New Year celebrations.
Presentation & How It's Eaten
Ladle boiling hot broth, hominy, and tender pork into wide bowls. It is served with an array of customizable raw toppings that diners add to their liking: shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, diced onions, oregano, crushed chili flakes, lime wedges, and crispy corn tostadas smeared with crema.
Ingredients
1 kg (2.2 lbs) pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
500g (1.1 lbs) pork ribs or pork neck bones (for rich broth)
2 cans (approx. 800g / 28 oz each) prepared white canned hominy, rinsed
5 dried guajillo chilies, deseeded
3 dried ancho chilies, deseeded
1 large white onion (halved)
6 cloves garlic
1 tbsp dried Mexican oregano
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp cumin
Salt, to taste
Toppings: Shredded cabbage, thinly sliced radishes, diced raw onion, Mexican oregano, lime wedges, tostadas
Step-by-Step Directions
Simmer Pork: In a large pot, combine pork shoulder, pork bones, half the onion, 4 garlic cloves, bay leaves, and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover with 4 liters of water and simmer over medium heat for 1.5 hours, skimming off foam.
Make Chili Paste: Rehydrate toasted guajillo and ancho chilies in hot water for 15 minutes. Blend softened chilies with remaining half onion, 2 garlic cloves, cumin, and 1 cup chili water until smooth. Strain paste.
Combine Base: Remove cooked pork bones and onion/bay leaves from pot. Shred large pork chunks into bite-sized pieces. Pour chili paste into broth, stir in rinsed hominy, and add shredded pork back to pot.
Final Simmer: Add dried oregano and simmer uncovered for 45–50 minutes until hominy blooms and meat is tender. Adjust salt.
Serve: Ladle steaming soup into bowls and serve alongside bowls of raw toppings and tostadas.
Optional
Pozole Verde: Replace red chili sauce with a blended green sauce made from roasted tomatillos, poblano peppers, cilantro, and pumpkin seeds.
Cooking Tips
Use Pork Bones: Including bone-in cuts like ribs or neck bones while boiling the meat builds gelatin and richness in the broth foundation.
Nutrition Facts
(Estimated per serving, based on an 8-serving breakdown)
Calories: ~410 kcal
Total Fat: 18g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Cholesterol: 70mg
Sodium: 680mg
Total Carbohydrates: 32g
Dietary Fiber: 6g
Sugars: 3g
Protein: 30g
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