Authentic Pozole Recipe

Trim and cut the pork shoulder into 2 inch chunks; pat dry and season lightly with a pinch of the kosher salt and the black pepper. Heat a large heavy pot over medium high and add about 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil. Brown the pork in batches so it gets a good crust, also brown the pork neck bones or hock if using, then return all meat to the pot.

Add about 10 cups of water or enough to just cover the meat, the large onion (halved), 6 of the garlic cloves, the 2 bay leaves, 2 tsp kosher salt, and the black pepper. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then reduce to a low simmer. Partially cover and cook until the pork is mostly tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, adding water if needed to keep meat covered.

While the pork simmers prepare the chiles: remove stems and seeds from the guajillo and ancho chiles. In a small skillet heat the remaining oil briefly and toast the chiles 10 to 20 seconds per side until fragrant but not burned, then transfer to a bowl and cover with very hot water to soak 15 to 20 minutes. Save some of the soaking liquid.

Put the softened chiles, the 2 reserved garlic cloves, 1 tsp ground cumin, and 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano into a blender with a few tablespoons of the chile soaking liquid or some of the pork broth and blend until smooth. If your blender is small do it in 2 batches. Add a little more liquid if it’s too thick.

Strain the chile puree through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with the back of a spoon to get all the flavor while leaving skins and any grit behind. Don’t skip straining, it makes the broth silky.

When the pork is tender, fish out and discard the halved onion and bay leaves. Add the drained hominy to the pot, then pour in the strained chile sauce. Stir to combine, add the tablespoon of vinegar, then simmer uncovered for another 30 minutes so the flavors marry and the hominy absorbs the broth.

Check seasoning and texture: taste and add more kosher salt if needed, a pinch more black pepper, or a little crushed red pepper if you want heat. If the pork pieces are large shred some with forks right in the pot or remove, shred, and return to the soup.

Let the pozole rest off the heat for 10 minutes before serving so it settles. Pozole thickens as it cools; add a splash of hot water or broth if it’s too thick when reheating.

Serve bowls with shredded green cabbage, thinly sliced radishes, finely diced small white onion, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, a sprinkle of dried oregano and crushed red pepper flakes, and optional avocado slices and tostadas or warm corn tortillas. Leftovers freeze great in portions for up to 3 months, reheat gently on the stove.