Authentic Pozole Rojo (Mexican Red Pork & Hominy Stew)
A comforting pot of red chile broth loaded with tender pork and canned hominy, finished with classic crunchy toppings, perfect for gatherings or cozy weekends.
Ingredients
Pork & Broth
- 2 pounds Pork neck bones
- 3 pounds Pork shoulder (butt roast)
- 16 cups water (or enough to cover meat)
- 1 white onion, halved
- 1 whole head garlic, top trimmed
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 Tsp fine sea salt
Red Chile Sauce
- 12 Dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and deseeded
- 3 dried ancho chiles, deseeded
- 4 dried chile de arbol (optional, for extra heat)
- 4 Garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ white onion
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- ½ tsp whole peppercorns
- 1 pinch ground cumin
- 3 cups reserved hot pork broth
- Salt, to taste
- Chicken bouillon powder, to taste (optional)
- 1/2 cup Hominy, (optional)
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Finishing the Soup
- 1 can (25-29 oz) Hominy, drained and rinsed
Instructions
Simmer the Pork
- Rinse neck bones and shoulder. Place in a large pot with water, onion, garlic head, bay leaves, and salt.
- Bring to a gentle boil, skim foam, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 40–60 minutes until pork is fork‑tender.
Soften the Chiles
- While pork cooks, wipe chiles clean. Remove stems and seeds. Simmer chiles in a small pot of water 5–10 minutes until pliable; drain.
- (Optional: simmer chiles inside the pot with broth instead as shown in video. This adds deeper flavor. Personal preference)
Blend the Sauce
- In a blender combine softened chiles, garlic cloves, onion, oregano, peppercorns, cumin, 3 cups hot pork broth, optional hominy, plus a pinch of salt or bouillon.
- Blend until smooth
- Strain for a silky texture.
Fry the Sauce
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium. Pour in the strained sauce (it may sputter) and cook about 5 minutes, stirring, until it thickens slightly and turns a deeper red. This step develops richness and removes any raw chile taste.
Assemble the Pozole
- Remove onion, garlic head, and bay leaves from the pork pot. Shred or cube the pork, discarding bones. Stir in the fried red sauce
- Stir in the drained canned hominy. Simmer 20–30 minutes so flavors marry; skim fat if desired.
- Adjust salt.
Serve & Garnish
- Ladle pozole into bowls.
- Offer shredded cabbage or lettuce, sliced radish, chopped onion, cilantro, crushed chile piquín, dried oregano, and lime wedges. Serve tostadas on the side.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Meat Options – Pig feet, ribs, or chicken pieces deepen flavor.
- Thickening Tip – Blending ½ cup hominy into the sauce adds body—optional.
- Texture Choice – Serve pork in chunks or shred it for easy eating; remove any small bones before ladling soup.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!