Boys, this may not be a recipe that is tied to a bunch of memories for you all, as I literally just made it for the first time not too long ago, but it's one that deserves to be on here. As I was searching for tamale recipes to try for Christmas Eve this year, I came across Pozole. Being stuck at home after fracturing my knee and wanting something low-key and comforting, it sounded perfect. There are dozens of recipes out there and each one is different and similar in many ways. I took pieces from several that I liked the most and then I created my own recipe. This soup is full of flavor, has great texture, and is a great base for ALL. OF. THE. TOPPINGS. And boy, is it comforting!
INGREDIENTS
For the soup
5 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 dried arbol chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 canned chiles in adobo + 1-2 T. sauce (heat preference)
3 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. adobo seasoning (Mexican aisle) or sea salt
1 T. cocoa powder (Mexican cocoa powder preferred)
Oil (canola, avocado, vegetable, olive)
1 onion, roughly chopped
6 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
3 lbs pork (shoulder or butt) trimmed and cut to 2" pieces
Salt and Pepper
2 tsp. Mexican oregano (regular is fine too)
1 cup Mexican lager
3 cups chicken stock (or pork if you can find it or want to make it)
2 25oz cans of hominy, drained
Topping suggestions
Sliced radishes (classic on Pozole)
Avocado
Finely sliced cabbage
Sliced jalapenos or serranos
Cilantro
Lime wedges
DIRECTIONS
Start by preparing the rojo (red) sauce by boiling 3-4 cups of water then remove from heat. Place the dried chilis in the hot water, cover, and allow to soak for about 10 minutes. While the chilis are soaking, heat a large pot up over medium heat with a little oil in it. Saute the onions for approximately 3 minutes, until they just begin to become golden then add the garlic and saute for another minute or two. Put the soaked chilis, the sauted onions and garlic, and 3 cups of the hot chili liquid into a blender or food processor. Add the 2 canned chipotle chilis in adobo, the 1-2 tablespoons of adobo sauce, chili powder, cumin, adobo powder, and cocoa powder to the blender as well. Blend up for 1-2 minutes until completely pureed and blended. Set the rojo chili sauce to the side.
In the same pot that you Sautéed the onion and garlic in, add another tablespoon or two of oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Season all sides of the pork with the adobo seasoning or salt and pepper. Brown all sides of the pork, taking approximately 8 minutes. Once browned, deglaze the pan with the beer and by scraping up the browned bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon. Allow the beer to reduce by half, then add the chicken stock and rojo sauce. Stir together. Bring up to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for approximately 45 minutes before adding the hominy. Allow to simmer for another 2 hours at least until the pork is tender and easy to pull apart.
Fry up some corn tortillas to serve with it or simply serve with some purchased tostada shells or tortilla chips. When ready to eat, top with your preferred toppings and enjoy!
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