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.
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📖 Recipe
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
CHECK RECIPE VIDEO
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.
Video
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.
Susie M.
It’s so delicious 😊
Catherine Hernandez
To substitute chicken, how many pounds would you use? What cuts?
Mely Martínez
Hello Catherine,
3 pounds of bone-in chicken, use a mix of dark and white meat. Chicken breast and thighs.
Ludwig Stiglich
It is awesome. A family favorite!
Jen
I’ve been searching for an authentic recipe for pozole Rojo and I’m so happy I found this one! The first taste brought immediate comfort and happiness. I grew up eating pozole blanco which is my ultimate favorite Mexican dish. Pozole Rojo is amazing! The color of the broth is gorgeous and the flavors are amazing! I can’t wait to show off my new recipe to our family.
Nonoub
I've been trying to find the perfect pozole recipe forever. This was it! The only change was that we use cabbage instead of lettuce. Thank you.
Melissa Forrest-Garcia
I love your recipe as my guide. I usually sauté the seasoned pork cubes and also toast the guajiro chiles before soaking them. I add a whole jalapeño and a small can of Herdez red salsa. I serve with cabbage and everything else you mentioned. It’s glorious!!
Jerome
This was absolutely amazing! I’m a New Mexico native living in Iowa, and wanted to share posole with my wife; this recipe knocked it out of the park, especially the addition of lime juice as a garnish. As a tip for those making it the first time, when I first added the chile purée to the pork broth it was extremely bitter. My wife says French onion soup is similar in that it tastes like dirty dish water until you boil it. We brought the broth to boil and simmered it, and added a lot of salt, and it transformed into perfect posole. Thanks so much for this recipe, we will make it again and again!
Erin
My husband loves some crockpot posole rexipe and mentioned he wanted it this weekend. I said I will handle it. I followed your recipe to the letter outside of all my pork was pork butt, and he kissed my forehead and said thank you so much, this was so much better. I said thank Mely! It really was so good.
C Strauss
Not very spicy. Doesn’t taste like the Red posole I had in cities on the west coast of Mexico. It’s missing something. Maybe the seeds out of the peppers or another kind of pepper?
Mely Martínez
Hello Strauss,
In the west coast of Mexico, there is spicy salsa that is added after you serve the Pozole, each one adds it to their personal taste.