Dinner

Pozole

Written by: Morann Ekins

Time: 4 hours
SERVINGS: 6-8
Pozole

A rich, comforting bowl of pozole that’s equal parts smoky, tangy, and soul-warming. This version gets extra depth from slow-simmered pork, toasted chiles, and a finishing drizzle of Brightland Ardor Chili Flavored Olive Oil.

Ingredients

  • 2–3 lbs boneless pork shoulder
  • 3 dried ancho peppers
  • 12 dried guajillo peppers
  • 2 chiles japones
  • 1 head garlic (about 14 cloves), peeled
  • 2 white onions, halved and peeled
  • 2 lbs (50 oz) canned hominy, rinsed and drained
  • 2 Tbsp dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 tsp cumin seed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 quarts water or stock
  • 2 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp bouillon (I used vegetable bouillon)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 3 tsp Brightland Everyday Cooking Oil
  • Brightland Ardor Chili oil for garnish
  • Your favorite toppings: cilantro, extra dried oregano, lime wedges, thinly shredded green cabbage, sliced radish, tostadas, etc.

Instructions

  1. (Highly recommend wearing food-safe gloves for this step.) Deseed and stem the dried chiles, then place them in a preheated dry pan. Toss and toast for about 3 minutes, just until fragrant, no color should form. Be careful not to burn them, as they can burn quickly. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse and drain the hominy, then spread it out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tsp of cooking oil and toss to coat. Roast until lightly toasted, about 25 minutes.
  3. While the hominy toasts, preheat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Season the pork shoulder with 4 tsp kosher salt. Add 2 tsp of cooking oil to the pot and sear the pork on all four sides until golden brown.
  4. Add 1 1/2 onions, the toasted chiles, all but one garlic cloves, and the bouillon to the pot. Pour in 4 quarts of water or stock. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, skim off any residue or foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the pork is fork-tender and easily shreds, about 3 hours.
  5. Remove the pork from the pot and let it cool slightly before shredding. Fish out the dried chiles, onion, and garlic from the broth. Transfer them to a blender with 1 cup of the hot broth to loosen the mixture. Add the remaining half onion, the last garlic clove, oregano, and cumin seed to the blender. Blend until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve if you prefer a smoother broth.
  6. Pour the blended mixture back into the pot with the broth, then add the toasted hominy and the bay leaves. Simmer nore rapidly for about 30 minutes to allow the hominy to rehydrate and the broth to reduce slightly. Add the shredded pork back to the pot and warm through. Stir in the juice from one lime  
  7. Ladle into bowls and drizzle with Brightland chili oil. Top with your favorite garnishes. My favorites are cilantro, lime wedges, thinly shredded cabbage, radish, dried oregano, and tostadas.

What You'll Need

Everyday Cooking Oil Everyday Cooking Oil
Everyday Cooking Oil
Sale price$33 $29.04
olive oil built for high-heat sautéing, grilling, and baking. 4.7 Stars,14 reviews
Ardor Ardor
Ardor
Sale price$40 $35.20
100% Chili Olive Oil 4.9 Stars,439 reviews

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