This Red Pozole recipe (Posole) has had great success with many of the people that had tried, I hope you enjoy it as well.
Mexico's Bicentennial Celebration will take place at midnight on September 15, 2010. Contrary to what most people “know” about this historical event, this date is not the actual anniversary of the Mexican Independence from Spain, (which did not happen officially until 1821), but the celebration of the beginning of the rebellion against the corrupt, cruel and decadent Spanish colonial system.
Red Pozole Recipe / Pozole Rojo
That September 16, 1810, at dawn, the insurrection that was initiated by the leader of the so-called group "Queretaro’s conspirators", the priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, was what inspired the people of Dolores Hidalgo (currently in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico) to rebel. That night, Hidalgo delivered his famous "Grito de Dolores”.
And the war for the Independence of Mexico started…Our entire country will celebrate with festivities for several weeks, including various events such as parades, fireworks, folk festivals, art exhibitions, historical tours and displays, musical concerts and gastronomic shows. The mega event was baptized by Mexicans as "El Grito del Bicentenario".
Red Pozole Garnish can include Shredded Lettuce or Cabbage according to the region.
Anyway, I know you didn’t stop here looking to know about our Mexican history and heritage, but to find out how to make the famous and delicious soup/stew called Pozole, which is just what I had in mind to celebrate the Bicentenario.
If you have tried Pozole before, you know it is a tasty, filling, and above all, a nutritious soup. We usually eat this soup for dinner, and it’s a classic dish in Mexican Fiestas during the cold nights of winter. It is a favorite dish that must show off at the Noche Mexicana Fiesta this Independence Day. Nothing more Mexican than a Pozole!The original Red Pozole or red posole is made using dried Hominy and the pig’s head and neck bones. Dried hominy (hulled and dried kernels of corn) adds an incomparable corn flavor to this soup, but canned hominy is commonly used as a substitute.
We are using canned hominy in this recipe since it is available at the supermarkets here in the States and buying dried Hominy and pig’s head meat is hard to find. This recipe is for a red pozole, even though in Mexico we also have white (without the red sauce) and green pozole adding Salsa Verde. And yes, you can use chicken instead of pork for the soup if you prefer.
Note: Pozole can be refrigerated for up to 5 days; it tastes even better, and it also freezes well.
How to Make Red Pozole
Red Posole Peppers are Guajillo and Ancho Peppers
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat water. Add pork meat, spare ribs, onion, and garlic. Season with salt when meat is almost done. While cooking, skim the top layer of foam and fat from the pot using a ladle.
- Remove pork from the broth. Trim excess fat, and remove meat from bones.
- Now for the sauce, soak the ancho and guajillo peppers in water
- Using a blender process the peppers, garlic cloves, onion, and oregano.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the dry peppers puree and salt to taste. simmer, about 25 minutes.
- Using a strainer, add the sauce to the broth. Bring to a boil and add the meat. Stir in white hominy, and season with salt and pepper.
Pozole RojoWe love to serve Red Pozole Soup in these large Mexican soup bowls.
Buen Provecho!
Mely Martínez
Leave a comment and share your experience with the recipe.
If you are on Pinterest, check our boards with hundreds of delicious ideas I'm pinning for you! Or if you are on Instagram, check out the meals pictures or stories ideas.If you are looking for the recipe for Pozole Verde press HERE.Share on your social networks; it only takes 5 seconds. Thanks! EN ESPAÑOL.
Red Pozole
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 4 quarts of water
- 2 pounds cubed pork shoulder
- 1 pound pork spare ribs or baby back ribs
- 1 white onion cut in quarts
- 8 large garlic cloves
- Salt to taste
- 3 cans (15 ounces each) white hominy, drained and rinsed SEE Notes for uncooked hominy.
For the red sauce:
- 5 guajillo peppers cleaned, seeded, open flat, and deveined
- 5 ancho peppers cleaned, seeded, open flat, and deveined
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 medium white onion coarsely chopped
- ½ teaspoon dry Mexican oregano
- 2 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
- Salt to taste
For the garnish:
- 1 head of lettuce finely shredded
- 1 ½ cup onions finely chopped
- Ground chile piquín to taste
- 1 ½ cup radishes sliced
- Mexican oregano
- Deep fried corn tortillas tostadas
- Limes cut in wedges
- Optional: avocado chopped
Instructions
- Heat water in a large stockpot. Add pork meat, spare ribs, onion, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer, partially covered for 2 and half hours or until meat is tender and falling off the bone. Season with salt when meat is almost done. While cooking, skim the top layer of foam and fat from the pot using a ladle. If necessary, add warm water to maintain the same level of broth in the pot.
- Remove pork from broth; reserve broth. Trim excess fat, and remove meat from bones; discard bones, onion, and garlic from the broth. Shred meat, and cover.
- Now for the sauce, soak the ancho and guajillo peppers in water just enough to cover for 25-30 minutes until soft.
- Using a blender or food processor blend peppers, garlic cloves, onion, and oregano, adding some of the water in which they were soaking. Puree mixture until smooth.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the dry pepper puree and salt to taste, stirring constantly as it splatters. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, about 25 minutes.
- Using a strainer, add the sauce to the broth. Bring to a boil and add the meat, and simmer gently, for about 10 minutes. Stir in white hominy, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until heated through.
- Serve Pozole in large Mexican soup bowls and place garnishes on the side as shown above.
Notes
- If you want to use uncook cacahuazintle corn (hominy) and cook it yourself, rinse the corn, remove any grain that looks dry or old. Place the corn in a pot with enough water to cover it at least 8-10 centimeters above the corn kernels. Add a quarter of a white onion, two cloves of garlic, you can also herbs like bay leaves and thyme. Cook for about an hour and a half until the corn opens. It may take less or longer, it depends on how old the corn is. This is for 1-½ lb. of corn. When the corn is already cooked, drain it and add it to the pozole as indicated in the recipe.
- You can prepare the sauce a couple of days in advance so that it is not so elaborate to do it all the same day. The sauce can also be frozen and used for other stews such as adobos or enchiladas.
- The Pozole tends to enhance its flavors the next day, so if you are going to prepare it for a party or special occasion you can cook it in advance, and just reheat it. Besides, it keeps very well in the freezer including the hominy, and it takes great when you reheat it weeks later.
Nelda Garcia
Hola Mele,
At what point during the recipe would I add the hominy if not using the store bought pre-cooked version?
Gracias!
Nelda
Sorry Mele! I just saw that you’ve included that in your recipient already 🙂
Veronica
Mely I have made this recipe 4 times and we LOVE it. I really enjoy learning recipes from different cultures around the world and it’s my goal to find a recipe that’s as authentic as possible. This dish is part of my boyfriends culture so I am very thankful to have a recipe that exceeded his expectations 😊 thank you so much for sharing!
Chuck Higgins
I am pleased to have an authentic Pozole recipe!
After closely following the recipe, it was good but being from New Mexico (Santa Fe), I felt it was in need of a “flavor push“.
I took the liberty of adding some chicken base (paste, not powdered) and some ground cumin.
The compliments flowed in from the dinner guests. Woof!
Carlos
I’m not one to post a lot of any thing but this recipe compelled me to do so…… I followed just as she described, except for shredding the meat. I also used an entire rack of spare ribs, and cut them individually also leaving them in tact bone and all. Picking out the ribs and eating them off the bone made for a more favorable experience texture-wise in my opinion. Will definitely make again!
Victoria
Omg. let me just tell you this was delicious a bit time consuming but worth it. Totally agree with making the sauce ahead of time . Received compliments from both my parents. Mom said Mija, your abuelo would be proud. This meant the world too me 🥺🥲🥰. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Mon
I tried the receipt and loved it. However, the chile flavor was not sticking to mine. What am I missing?
Mely Martínez
Hello Mon,
I'm not sure what you mean by Chile flavor? Sometimes, the peppers are old and the flavor is not that strong. Or do you mean about spiciness?
Roberto Gutierrez
Hola Mely, que sabroso el pozole rojo de tu receta. Gracias.
Tambien le agregue un chile mulato que le dio un sabor interesante.
Feliz navidad.
Roberto
Mely Martínez
Saludos Roberto,
Gusto en saber de ti. Ese chile mulato me imagino le dió un colorcito más oscuro al pozole.
Joanna Gonzalez
Oh! Wow! This has been the best pozole ever. My family couldn’t believe I made it. Thank you for such a delicious and easy recipe.
I just printed the recipe to add to my favorites.
Lisa Clay
I cooked my pork in crockpot overnight,
But followed everything else. My family absolutely loved this !!! I only used about 1/3 of all the sauce I made but so happy to freeze the leftovers!!! Thank you so much for this perfect recipe!!!🌶❤️💋
Shanna Munoz
I’ve used this recipe several times. It is absolutely delicious. Thank you!
Cathy Thelen
When replacing the pork with chicken- what would you use 3 pounds of bone in thighs, or breast meat with bone?
Mely Martínez
Hello Cathy,
I would use a mix of bone in chicken breast & thights. The same weight indicates in the ingredients.
Lizz
Hello! 🙂 thank you for sharing all of your amazing recipes! Every single recipe I have made has turned out beautifully. I love pozole and have made this red one so many times. Each time it’s perfection!! Tonight I doubled the recipe so I could freeze it. I was wondering if you could share what type of strainer you use for the blended chili sauce. I’m looking to replace the one I have. 🙂
Gracias amiga!
Mely Martínez
Hello Lizz,
I use a strainer the has medium size holes. Similar to this one: STRAINER
Megan
This was a time investment, but was absolutely worth it. Absolutely will repeat. Thank you!
Mely Martínez
Hello Megan,
I'm glad you like the results of your Pozole.