My foray into this rich Mexican dish was Inspired by a recent rip to Zihuatanejo in the Guerrero province of Mexico, where Pozole (Po-SOH-lay) restaurants only open on Thursdays! There are an infinite number of Pozole recipes with a common theme and what follows is how I have come to enjoy it. It pretty much contains all the basic necessary ingredients and in this case I think that the whole is greater than the sum of the ingredients 🤣.
Thick, pasty chili sauce in the blender and the Pozole bubbling away in the pot
Serves 4
Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
For the chili sauce
5 garlic cloves, whole
2 dried Ancho chilis
2 dried Guajillo chilis
1 dried Arbol chili
1 ½ cups retained chili water*
2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade*
½ tbsp dried Mexican oregano
½ tbsp powdered cumin
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
One 25oz can Mexican style hominy, drained and rinsed
1 lb shredded or cubed leftover chicken, pork or turkey
OR
1 lb fresh pork shoulder cut into 1" cubes, sautéed in oil until browned on all sides (10 minutes or so)
Garnishes For Serving: sliced or diced avocado, cilantro leaves, lime wedges, sour cream, soft warm corn tortillas or crispy tortilla chips, chopped sweet or green onions.
Method
Cut or pull stems from the chili peppers and shake out seeds. Put in a saucepan and cover with plenty of water. Bring to a boil, turn heat off and let rest for 15-30 minutes until well hydrated
Throw chilis and garlic in a blender with about a cup of the chili water and blend on medium speed for at least one minute until you get a rich red color and a smooth paste. Add more chili water to obtain desired consistency. I like a thick paste.
Sautée the onions in a cast iron dutch oven or saucepan big enough to contain all the ingredients, on med-low until slightly caramelized, stirring often, about 15-20 minutes.
Add the chili sauce and the remaining ingredients to the pot and bring to a low simmer. At this point check the consistency and add more liquid if desired. Also test for seasoning and add salt as needed. Occasionally I will sweeten with a dash of agave syrup depending on how bitter the dried chilis turn out to be.
Cook on a very low simmer for 60-90 minutes (if using fresh pork make sure the pork is cooked through).
Serve into soup bowls or deep plates with all or some of the garnishes. Squeeze the limes wedges over the Pozole for added Zing!
*I prefer a thicker, more stew like Pozole. If you want a more soup like Pozole, add more chicken stock and/or chili water to your desired consistency.