Pozole Verde Recipe

Roast and blister

Heat a dry skillet or grill over high heat. Roast the poblanos, turning frequently, until skins are blackened and blistered on all sides, about 6–8 minutes. Place poblanos in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a lid to steam for 10 minutes; then peel, stem and seed. Quarter the tomatillos (if large) and remove husks; there is no need to roast tomatillos for this version.

Cook aromatics

Heat 2 tablespoons lard or oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the quartered white onion and whole garlic cloves and sauté until translucent and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the blanched poblano flesh (roughly chopped) and the tomatillos, and cook another 3 minutes to combine flavors.

Simmer and blend

Pour in 8 cups of chicken or vegetable stock, add oregano, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes to meld flavors and soften tomatillos. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then transfer the mixture in batches to a blender and puree until smooth. Return the puree to the pot through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to extract liquid and discard solids for a silky broth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper (use remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper if needed). Keep warm over low heat.

Prepare pork belly

Pat pork belly cubes dry with paper towels; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. When oil is hot, add pork belly in a single layer and sear without moving for 3–4 minutes until deeply golden on one side. Turn and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until cubes are crisp and rendered, about 10–12 minutes total. Remove pork belly to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and keep warm.

Warm hominy

In the same skillet or a separate small pot, add the drained hominy with 1/4 cup of the warm tomatillo broth and simmer gently for 6–8 minutes until heated through and some kernels begin to split, which will help thickness. Season the hominy with 1/2 teaspoon additional salt if desired. Keep warm.

Assemble protein into broth

Stir the warmed hominy into the pot of strained tomatillo–poblano broth and bring to a gentle simmer for 3–5 minutes to allow flavors to combine and the broth to thicken slightly from the hominy.

Divide the hominy–broth among 4 bowls (about 1 1/4 cups broth with hominy per bowl). Top each bowl with an equal portion of crispy pork belly cubes.

Plate garnishes: scatter shredded cabbage, sliced radish, diced white onion, and chopped cilantro over each bowl. Add diced avocado if using, sprinkle a pinch of dried oregano and chile flakes or chopped serrano to taste.

Serve with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the pozole just before eating. Taste and adjust salt or acidity with additional lime if desired.