Description
A delicious and hearty Mexican stew featuring tender pork and hominy in a vibrant green chili broth.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large white onion, quartered
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 (15-ounce) cans white hominy, rinsed and drained
- 1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 4 serrano chiles, stemmed (use 2 for less heat)
- 1 large poblano pepper, stemmed and roughly chopped
- 1 large bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
- Toppings: shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, avocado slices, lime wedges, dried oregano, hot sauce
Instructions
- Season the pork cubes generously with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Brown the pork in batches, ensuring not to crowd the pot. Once browned on all sides, remove the pork and set aside.
- Add the quartered onion to the pot and cook until slightly softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Return the pork to the pot and add the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the pork is very tender.
- While the pork simmers, prepare the green sauce. Place the tomatillos, serrano chiles, poblano pepper, cilantro, toasted pepitas, garlic, oregano, and cumin in a blender. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken stock from the simmering pork (or use separate stock/water if preferred). Blend until completely smooth.
- Once the pork is fork-tender, stir in the rinsed hominy and the blended green sauce. Bring the pozole back up to a gentle simmer.
- Continue to simmer, uncovered, for another 20-30 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken slightly.
- Stir in the lime juice and taste for seasoning. Add more salt or pepper if necessary.
- Ladle the pozole into bowls and serve with your desired toppings, such as shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, avocado, extra lime wedges, a sprinkle of dried oregano, and hot sauce.
Notes
- Pork shoulder is ideal for this recipe as the fat and connective tissue break down during the long simmer, resulting in tender, flavorful meat.
- For a less spicy pozole, reduce the number of serrano chiles to two, or remove the seeds from the chiles before blending.
- Toast the pepitas in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until they begin to puff and brown slightly. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
- This pozole freezes well. Cool completely before transferring to airtight containers.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can remove some of the liquid before adding the green sauce, or continue simmering uncovered until the desired consistency is reached.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Simmering/Stew
- Cuisine: Mexican