Ingredients:

  • 5 kg (5.5 lbs) Pork Shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 3-4 large chunks.
  • 6 L (1.6 gallons) Water or low-sodium Chicken Stock.
  • 1 medium White Onion, peeled and quartered.
  • 6 cloves Garlic, smashed.
  • 3 large Bay Leaves.
  • 1 tbsp (15g) Coarse Sea Salt, plus more to taste.
  • 1 tbsp (15g) Whole Black Peppercorns.
  • 8 large Dried Guajillo Chiles, stemmed and seeded.
  • 4 large Dried Ancho Chiles, stemmed and seeded.
  • 4 cups (950 ml) Broth (reserved from cooking the pork, or fresh stock).
  • 4 cloves Garlic, peeled.
  • 1/2 cup White Onion, roughly chopped.
  • 1 tbsp (15g) Dried Mexican Oregano.
  • 1 tsp (5g) Ground Cumin.
  • 1/2 tsp (3g) Ground Cloves (optional).
  • 4 cans (approx 425g/15 oz each) White or Yellow Hominy (Maíz pozolero), rinsed and drained well.
  • 1 head Green Cabbage, thinly shredded (for garnish).
  • 4-6 Limes, cut into wedges (for garnish).
  • 1 large White Onion, finely diced (for garnish).
  • 2 bunches Radishes, thinly sliced (for garnish).
  • 1 bunch Fresh Cilantro, roughly chopped (for garnish).

Instructions:

  1. Simmer the Pork: Place the pork chunks, water or stock, quartered onion, smashed garlic, bay leaves, salt, and peppercorns into a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer. Skim off any impurities that rise to the surface during the first 30 minutes.
  2. Cook Until Tender: Cover the pot partially and let the pork simmer gently for 2.5 to 3 hours, or until the pork is absolutely fork-tender and easily falls apart.
  3. Strain and Reserve: Remove the pork chunks and set aside to cool slightly. Strain the cooking liquid (broth) through a fine sieve into a separate container, discarding the spent aromatics. Reserve 4 cups of this cooking liquid for the chile sauce.
  4. Toast the Chiles: Briefly toast the dried guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry skillet or comal over medium heat for 30-60 seconds per side until fragrant, being careful not to burn them.
  5. Rehydrate: Place the toasted chiles in a bowl and cover them with hot, just-boiled water. Allow them to soak for 20-30 minutes until soft and pliable.
  6. Blend the Sauce: Drain the soaking water. Transfer the soaked chiles to the blender. Add the 4 cups of reserved pork broth, the fresh garlic cloves, chopped onion, Mexican oregano, cumin, and ground cloves (if using). Blend until completely smooth.
  7. Strain for Silkiness: Pass the chile sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, pressing firmly on the solids with a spatula to extract all the liquid. Discard the remaining solids (pulp/skins).
  8. Shred the Pork: Use two forks to shred the cooled pork meat into large, rustic pieces. Discard any large pieces of remaining fat.
  9. Combine Ingredients: Return the shredded pork and the strained broth to the stockpot. Pour in the strained red chile sauce (recaudo). Bring the liquid back up to a gentle simmer.
  10. Add Hominy: Stir in the rinsed and drained hominy.
  11. Simmer and Season: Allow the soup to simmer gently for another 30-45 minutes so the flavours meld and the hominy heats through. Taste the broth frequently and adjust the salt as needed.
  12. Serving: Ladle the Pozole hot into deep bowls, ensuring a generous amount of broth, hominy, and shredded pork in each. Serve immediately with the shredded cabbage, diced onion, sliced radishes, lime wedges, and cilantro for self-garnish.