Pozole is one of the most traditional dishes in Mexico, as well as one of the most beloved! This dish has been prepared since pre-Hispanic times. Its meaning in Náhuatl means foam, which is a name that was born from the foam that appeared when the hominy corn were boiled. Being a very old recipe and carried for generations, each Mexican family has modified their own versions over the years. These variations have opened doors for other types of pozole, such as green, white, and many more! This version of pozole rojo is a classic version of a recipe shared by my family, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! 🌶🇲🇽
🥣 Cooking Time: 2hrs
🍲 Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
1lb of pork ribs 4lbs of pork tenderloin 2 seedless ancho chiles 3 seedless puya chiles (spicy guajillo) 6 seedless chiles de arbol 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried thyme 2 teaspoons dried oregano ½lb of precooked hominy 5 cloves of garlic ½ of a medium onion 2 bay leaves 1½ tablespoons of salt 2 teaspoons beef bouillon powder (Knorr) 2 cups warm water
To serve (optional) 10-12 large radishes, chopped 1 head of cabbage finely chopped Corn chips
Lime and chili to taste
Directions
1. In a large pot, place the pork ribs and cover with water (approx. 7-8 cups). Add ¼ of onion, salt, bay leaves, and 2 garlic cloves. Cook on medium heat until the meat is almost tender (approximately 2hrs).
2. Make sure to skim the excess fat as the meat cooks for a clear, less fatty broth. While the meat cooks, proceed to prepare the red sauce for the pozole.
3. On a comal or good nonstick pan, roast the garlic and leftover onion. Make sure your comal (or pan) is nice and hot, and stays on medium low to roast everything without burning.
4. Once done, place the all dried chiles into a saucepan with 2 cups of warm water. Cook the peppers until they have softened enough to blend.
5. Place the peppers, spices, and roasted garlic and onion in a blender. Add 1 cup of the water used to boil, and one cup of the meat broth, and blend everything until you have a smooth, thick sauce.
6. Use a strainer to strain the sauce, removing any grainy pieces, and set aside. This will be the red sauce for the pozole.
7. After the meat has cooked and is tender, remove the onions and garlic from the broth.
8. Add the red sauce into the boiled pork, and add the beef bouillon to taste. Allow it to simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Add the precooked hominy to the pozole, and allow everything to simmer for another 10-15 minutes, making sure the hominy is not overcooked.
10. Once the pozole is ready, you can serve it with cabbage, radishes, corn chips, lime and chili to taste. Or even with finely chopped onion! ¡Buen provecho!
Notes
If you want to save time, you can always prepare the sauce a couple days in advance. This will save you time from preparing everything on the same day. The sauce can also be frozen, and adjusted to prepare other dishes such as adobo, barbacoa, etc. If you want to prepare extra and freeze or store it, you can use this sauce as a base for some Adobo Stew!
Most people, including members in my family, say that the pozole tastes better the next day. This may be because letting the soup to rest allows all of the flavors to combine into an even more delicious dish. So, if you want to prepare pozole for a party, or a special occasion, you can prepare it a day in advance and just reheat it. Plus, the pozole keeps very well in the freezer, including with hominy, to reheat weeks later.
Many people prefer to prepare the hominy from scratch, just like the rest of the dish. Personally, I'm a little more practical and prefer to use precooked hominy. Honestly, this doesn't change the taste of the pozole at all, plus it saves a little bit of time! If you prefer to prepare everything at home, even the hominy, it is totally optional and a matter of taste 🤗 ¡Feliz Día de la Independencia México!🇲🇽
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