Pozole Rojo — Hearty hominy stew with pork, dried chiles, and fresh garnishes

A pre-Columbian stew built around hominy corn and slow-cooked pork, pozole rojo gets its deep red color and earthy warmth from dried guajillo and ancho chiles. Traditionally served at celebrations and on weekends across Mexico, it is as much about the generous table of garnishes as the broth itself.

Serves: 6-8 | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 2 hr 30 min

Ingredients

• 2 lb bone-in pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 2 cans (29 oz each) hominy, drained and rinsed (or 1 lb dried hominy, soaked overnight)
• 5 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 1 medium white onion, halved
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 8 cups water
• Salt to taste

For the garnish table:

• Shredded green cabbage
• Sliced radishes
• Diced white onion
• Dried oregano
• Crushed red chile flakes or ground chile de arbol
• Lime wedges
• Tostadas

Instructions

1. Cook the pork: Place 2 lb pork shoulder, halved onion, and 4 garlic cloves in a large pot with 8 cups water. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then reduce to a simmer. Cook 1.5-2 hours until the pork is fork-tender.
2. Prepare the chile sauce: While pork cooks, toast guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry skillet 30 seconds per side. Soak in hot water 15 minutes, then drain. Blend with 1 cup of the pork broth until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve.
3. Shred and combine: Remove pork from the broth. Shred into bite-sized pieces, discarding bones and excess fat. Remove the onion and garlic from the broth.
4. Build the stew: Add the chile sauce, drained hominy, shredded pork, oregano, and cumin to the broth. Simmer 30 minutes for flavors to meld. Season with salt.
5. Serve with garnishes: Ladle pozole into deep bowls. Set out the full garnish table so each person can customize their bowl.

Tips

• Dried hominy produces a chewier, more authentic texture but requires overnight soaking and longer cooking
• Pozole verde swaps the dried red chiles for tomatillos, green chiles, and pepitas
• Keeps well refrigerated for 4-5 days; the flavor deepens overnight