September is a time for celebrating in Mexico due to the fact that it’s Mexican Independence Day. It’s a common misconception in the U.S. that Cinco de Mayo, May 5, is Mexican Independence Day, but September 16 is the real date of the Mexican independence, which provides at least one more opportunity each year to celebrate Mexico. And a celebration is what we’re planning with a traditional Mexican Pozole feast or more specifically Pozole de Puerco Rojo or Red Pork Pozole.
Are you familiar with Pozole? If you’re not you need to be… and soon! Pozole (which translates to hominy) has many variations. All variations include a base of cooked hominy in broth. The three main types of pozole are blanco/white, verde/green and rojo/red.
White Pozole is the preparation without any additional green or red sauce. Green Pozole adds a rich sauce based on green ingredients, possibly including tomatillos, cilantro, jalapeños or serranos. Red Pozole is made without the green sauce, instead adding a red sauce made from one or more dried chiles, such as guajillo, ancho, morita or chipotle. This is my version and it’s a party of flavors and textures for your senses. I could swim in the stuff not to mention eat it everyday if I didn’t suffer from such a bad case of FADD (food attention deficit disorder). This soup/stew is crazy easy to make with pretty basic ingredients but the end result is nothing less than PHENOMENAL! In addition, this is the perfect meal for entertaining or feeding a large group. It can be made ahead of time and just heated up when it’s time to serve. It`s actually better this way as the flavors get some more time to mix and meld. ENJOY!
Here’s what you’ll need for your Pozole de Puerco Rojo/ Red Pork Pozole:
Serves 6-8
For the Soup
- Pork Shank- 2-3 lbs cut across the bone
- Hominy- 2 25oz cans drained & rinsed
- Garlic- 6-8 cloves peeled
- White Onion- 1 roughly chopped
- Bay Leaves- 4
- Water- 3 Quarts
- Salt to taste
- For the Red Chile Sauce
- Dried Guajillo Peppers- 4 seeds removed
- Dried Ancho Peppers- 4 seeds removed
- Dried Chipotle Peppers- 2 seeds removed
- Dried Morita Peppers- 4 seeds removed
- Garlic- 6 cloves peeled White
- Onion- 1 chopped
- Dried Oregano (preferably Mexican)- 1 teaspoon
- Canola or Vegetable Oil- 1-2 Tablespoons
- Lettuce or Cabbage- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced or chopped
- White Onion- 1 cup diced
- Radishes- 1/2 cup thinly sliced
- Limes- quartered
- Avocado- 2 diced
- Dried Oregano
- Ground Chile Piquín or other ground hot chili
- Tostadas
- In a large stock pot add the pork, a chopped onion, the garlic, bay leaves & water. Bring to a simmer, cover & cook for about 2 hours until the pork is super tender.
- Remove the meat & discard the bones & any excess sinewy fat. Chop or shred the pork.
- Drain the hominy & rinse well.
- Add the meat & hominy back to the broth & return to a simmer.
- While the pork is getting all nice & tender make the red chile sauce. Seed the dried peppers & remove the stems. I’m using guajillo, ancho, morita & chipotle peppers but mix & match or use what you like or have.
- Add enough hot water to cover the peppers & let sit about 20 minutes or until soft.
- To the jar of a blender cup add the chile’s with the reserved soaking water, 1 chopped onion, the garlic cloves, oregano & a pinch of salt. Give it a spin until the mixture is fairly smooth.
- Heat a skillet with 1-2 tablespoons of canola or vegetable oil over medium heat. Add in the red chile sauce, stir & bring it to a simmer. Reduce heat to low & cook about 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add the chile sauce to your pozole pouring it through a fine mesh strainer. Use the back of a spoon to help push the sauce through. Discard the left over solids.
- Give your Pozole de Puerco Rojo/ Red Pork Pozole a stir, taste & adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Set out bowls & let your family & friends garnish to their hearts content.
