Active Time
1 hour
Total Time
3 1/2 hours
Pozole rojo is a hearty stew made with pork or chicken in a red–chile broth and studded with hominy (big, chewy kernels of dried corn, also called pozole, which are soaked in slaked lime to remove their hull and germ). The stew's base is made using the traditional method—first, two kinds of dried chiles are toasted, and then the chile paste is sautéed in oil to coax out the complex flavors.
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Ingredients
Serves 8–10
Step 1
Tie together mint and cilantro with kitchen string.
Step 2
Bring pork and water to a boil in a large pot, skimming froth, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add tied herbs, 20 garlic cloves, quartered onion, oregano, peppercorns, and 2 teaspoons salt and gently simmer, uncovered, until pork is very tender, about 2 hours. Strain broth through a large sieve into a large heatproof bowl. Return broth to pot. Discard mint and cilantro. Transfer cooked onion and garlic to a blender with 1 1/2 cups broth and purée until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Add purée to broth. Discard bones and coarsely shred pork into broth.
Step 3
Meanwhile, slit chiles lengthwise, then stem and seed. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot, then toast chiles in batches, opened flat, turning and pressing with tongs, until more pliable and slightly changed in color, about 30 seconds per batch. Transfer to a bowl and pour 2 1/2 cups boiling water over chiles. Soak, covered, until softened, about 30 minutes.
Step 4
Purée chiles with 1 1/2 cups soaking liquid, chopped onion, remaining 6 garlic cloves, clove, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in cleaned blender until a smooth paste forms, about 2 minutes.
Step 5
Heat oil in cast-iron skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then add chile paste (it will spatter) and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.
Step 6
Add chile paste and hominy and simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt.
Pozole can be made 3 days ahead. Chill, uncovered, to cool, then cover.
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Reviews (27)
Back to TopDo not miss making this for yourself is my first suggestion. Do not doubt the time estimate is my second piece of advice; however, after 3.5 hours, this is the best pozole I have ever had. I did find that after adding the chile paste it was a little thick so adding more stock or broth doesn't hurt.
lavatera
Darien, IL
12/16/2020
Delicious! New family fav! Followed the recipe.
ekenned
Houston, TX
7/19/2020
Very good. Though salt was not called for I used it since that is what most cooks use to make flavors pop. So I didn't have the problem with not enough flavor. I thought the flavor was amazing and perfect as a base for all the toppings. I have fresh oregano in my yard and I chopped some of that as a topping and it complimented the soup very nicely. I am too clumsy to have spattering grease around me so I put the oil into the chili mixture and just made a reduction paste by using a large sauté pan and turning the burner on high and then reducing the temp to very low and letting it cook until thick. Probably there is an amazing taste I'm missing there but next time I make it maybe I can have a friend help with that part. I will be doing this again and again. I'm excited to try the green sauce. I have a bunch of hatch peppers that I roasted and froze late last summer. That will be next.
Microdogmatic
12/16/2018
amandaburton
Oakland, CA
2/15/2017
I thought this posole was delicious and the process was quite easy, so I will be making it again. In fact, I intend to serve it at a dinner party this weekend. I only gave it 3 spoons because after I combined the soup with the paste and seasoned it with salt, I agreed that the recipe, as it is written, seemed to be lacking something. So, I added a couple of teaspoons of ground cumin and about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground coriander and then simmered it for about 15 more minutes. I then let it sit for a day to let the flavors really meld, like any great soup/stew! That seems to have added the depth that I was after. Don't skip the accompaniments either! They balance the richness with fresh, bright flavor.
Anonymous
California
9/14/2011
Splatter when you add the chili paste to the hot oil in the cast iron skillet? Are you kidding me? My kitchen looked like that old postcard of Jackson Pollock's mother, with spaghetti sauce splattered across every inch of her apron. Still, it's definitely worth making for one dinner party. The stew is fabulous.
thatcherfreund
7/27/2011
This was absolutely delicious. Just what we needed for a cold and rainy evening. I made the recipe as written with two exceptions. I browned the meat prior to adding the water. Also, I had about 2c. of leftover chicken stock so I used that and 8c. water. Served with guacamole slices and crumbles of queso fresco on top. It was a bit of prep but not at all difficult. I did take the recommendation of other reviewers and doubled the chile paste so I could freeze half for future use.
Anonymous
Phoenix, Arizona
4/9/2011
Yum!
gms3rd
1/30/2011
Also, what a gorgeous color!
krysta
6/21/2010
Sooo, sooo good! Delicious with the avocado chunks, and squeezes of lime! I agree, once a year recipe as it takes that long for your kitchen to recuperate!
krysta
6/21/2010
Wow -- this is gorgeous and yummy! I mean, really yummy. My kitchen is a wreck, but I made a double-batch of the chili paste to lessen my work next time.
twinxabc
boulder, co
4/27/2010
Once a year recipe, easy and tasty.
pcat
Glendale, CA
1/10/2010
Yummy and so cheap to do. This is very easy yet time consuming recipe. I omitted the mint and cilantro as I feel it is a waste and none of my Mexican friends said that it was a step they knew of. However, it's crucial to have that cilantro as an accompaniment. I also skipped cooking the chile sauce in oil - I still had a hearty thick-ish soup. For those not familiar with posole, the extras (cabbage, lime, cilantro, onions)are a must. They add textural contrast as well as freshness. It's like eating the Vietnamese soup, pho...
hungrypeanut
Salt Lake City, UT
1/16/2009
So-so. Definitely needed lots of lime squeezed in it with lots of cilantro. If you want a better pozole recipe, look for Pork and Hominy Stew from Bon Appetit February 2002. That one is much yummier.
Mileen
Orange County, CA
3/23/2008
This is amazing delicious comfort food. I am making this posole for the second time today, a rare rainy day in San Diego. The only thing I am changing from the first time I made it is reducing the amount of hominy. I use pork stew meat because it's readily available. My husband and I both enjoy it with sliced radishes, queso blanco, onion, cilantro, and tortillas. The mint is a delicious addition to the broth. In my opinion, well worth the time and effort.
Anonymous
San Diego
1/5/2008
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