Pozole Rojo (Mexican Red Pork and Hominy Soup with Guajillo and Ancho Chiles)

Pozole rojo is Mexico's great celebration soup: a deep red broth of pork and hominy, tinted and flavored with dried guajillo and ancho chiles, then piled high at the table with crisp cabbage, radish, onion, oregano and lime. Hominy (maíz pozolero) is corn that has been nixtamalized, so the kernels swell into chewy, floral little clouds that soak up the broth. In Mexico it is the dish of Independence Day, Christmas Eve and Sunday afternoons; in a cool autumn kitchen it is the kind of big pot that feeds a crowd and tastes even better the next day.

Three things make this pozole taste right. First, the pork shoulder simmers gently with a bone if you can get one, so the broth turns rich and the meat shreds without drying out. Second, the chiles are toasted briefly, soaked, blended smooth and then fried in a little lard or oil before going into the pot, which cooks out any raw, bitter edge and gives the broth its glossy red color. Third, the garnishes are not optional: the cold crunch of cabbage and radish, the sharpness of lime and the dusty perfume of Mexican oregano are half the dish.

Ingredients

For the pork and broth

• 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) boneless pork shoulder, cut into 5 cm (2-inch) chunks, plus 1 pork neck bone or 2 pork ribs if available
• 1 large white onion, halved
• 1 whole head of garlic, halved crosswise
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste
• 2.5 liters (10 cups) water
• 2 cans (about 800 g / 29 oz each) white hominy, drained and rinsed, or 600 g (1.3 lb) cooked pozole corn

For the red chile sauce

• 6 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 dried chiles de árbol, for heat (optional)
• 1/2 white onion, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tablespoon lard or vegetable oil

To serve

• 1/4 head of green cabbage, finely shredded
• 6 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
• 3 limes, cut into wedges
• Dried Mexican oregano and chili flakes, in small bowls
• Tostadas or warm corn tortillas, sliced avocado (optional)

Instructions

1. Put the pork, bone, halved onion, garlic head, bay leaves, salt and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim off the gray foam that rises in the first 10 minutes, then lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 1 hour 30 minutes, until the pork is tender enough to shred with a fork.
2. While the pork simmers, toast the chiles: heat a dry skillet over medium heat and press the guajillo, ancho and árbol chiles flat for about 20 seconds per side, until fragrant and slightly softened. Do not let them blacken or the sauce will be bitter.
3. Cover the toasted chiles with 500 ml (2 cups) very hot water and soak for 20 minutes, until soft and pliable.
4. Transfer the chiles and 250 ml (1 cup) of the soaking water to a blender with the chopped onion, garlic cloves, cumin and oregano. Blend for 2 minutes until completely smooth, then press through a fine sieve, scraping with a spatula and discarding the skins left behind.
5. Heat the lard or oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Pour in the strained chile purée (it will spit) and fry, stirring, for 6 to 8 minutes, until it darkens a shade and thickens to the texture of tomato paste. This step removes the raw taste and sets the color.
6. Lift the pork out of the pot and let it cool for a few minutes. Discard the onion, garlic head, bone and bay leaves, then skim excess fat from the broth. Shred the pork into large pieces with two forks.
7. Stir the fried chile sauce and the drained hominy into the broth. Return the shredded pork to the pot, bring back to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, so the hominy absorbs the red broth and the flavors come together. Taste and add salt; pozole needs more than you think.
8. Serve in deep bowls with all the garnishes on the table so everyone piles on cabbage, radish, onion, a big squeeze of lime and a pinch of oregano, with tostadas alongside.

Tips

• Substitutions: guajillo and ancho are mild and fruity; if you can only find one kind, use 9 of it. Pasilla chiles can stand in for ancho. Bone-in pork shoulder or a mix of shoulder and pork ribs gives the best broth. For pozole de pollo, simmer bone-in chicken thighs for 40 minutes instead of pork and finish the same way.
• Canned hominy is ready to use; dried pozole corn needs an overnight soak and 2 to 3 hours of simmering until the kernels "flower" open. Rinse canned hominy well to lose the tinny brine flavor.
• Make ahead and storage: pozole is better on day two. Keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze the soup (without garnishes) for up to 3 months; the hominy freezes well. Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of water if it has thickened, and prepare fresh garnishes.
• Heat level: guajillo and ancho give color, not much heat. Two chiles de árbol make it medium; leave them out for a mild pot and put chili flakes on the table instead.
• What to serve with it: crisp tostadas spread with crema or refried beans, warm corn tortillas, a cold beer or agua de jamaica, and sliced avocado. A squeeze of lime just before eating is not negotiable.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is an estimate only: about 520 kcal, 38 g protein, 24 g fat, 38 g carbohydrate per serving, without tostadas.