Pozole Bowl Recipe

Prepare chiles

Remove stems and seeds from the guajillo and ancho chiles. Toast the chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20–30 seconds per side until aromatic (do not burn). Transfer to a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak 15–20 minutes until softened.

Brown pork

Season the pork cubes with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches if needed, brown the pork on all sides about 4–5 minutes per batch. Remove browned pork and set aside.

Blend chile sauce

Drain the soaked chiles, reserving 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid. In a blender add the softened chiles, reserved soaking liquid, 2 cloves garlic, half the quartered onion, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp salt. Blend until smooth, adding a little additional soaking liquid if necessary to reach a smooth puree (about 1/3–1/2 cup). Strain the puree through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove larger bits and seeds.

Build the broth

In the pot used for browning, reduce heat to medium and add the remaining chopped onion and 2 whole garlic cloves (lightly smashed). Sauté 3–4 minutes until translucent. Add the chile puree and cook, stirring, 2–3 minutes to deepen flavors. Return browned pork to the pot. Pour in 10 cups stock, add bay leaves, remaining oregano, the remaining garlic if any, and bring to a simmer.

Simmer

Lower heat to maintain a gentle simmer, partially covered, and cook until the pork is very tender and shreddable, about 1.5–2 hours. Skim foam occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt (about 1 tsp more if needed) and pepper.

Shred pork

Remove pork pieces to a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Discard any large fat pieces. Return shredded pork to the pot and stir to combine with the broth.

If using canned hominy: drain and rinse well. Add drained hominy to the pot with the broth and shredded pork during the last 20–30 minutes of simmering so the hominy absorbs flavor and warms through. If you prefer to simmer hominy separately to control texture: place rinsed hominy in a small saucepan with 1 cup water and 1 tsp salt, simmer 15–20 minutes until tender, then add to the broth before serving.

Prepare toppings while the pozole is finishing: shred cabbage finely, thinly slice radishes and jalapeños, chop onion and cilantro, slice avocado and cut limes into wedges.

To serve: ladle hot pozole into bowls, making sure each bowl gets a generous amount of pork and hominy. Serve the toppings separately so diners can add to taste: cabbage, chopped onion, radish slices, jalapeño slices, avocado slices, cilantro, a sprinkle of dried oregano and optional crushed red pepper, and a lime wedge for squeezing.

Storage: refrigerate cooled pozole in an airtight container up to 3–4 days. Reheat gently on the stove; add a splash of stock or water if the broth has thickened. Toppings (avocado, cabbage) are best prepared fresh.