Pozole rojo

Photo: Mexico in My Kitchen

A party in a pot. Pork, hominy, a red chile broth, and then everyone piles on their own cabbage, radish, oregano and lime. Mely cooks the way her family did.

From Mely Martínez at Mexico in My Kitchen · @mexicoinmykitchen

Pork shoulder and ribs simmered with hominy in a guajillo and ancho chile broth, piled high with crunchy garnishes.

You need

• 4 quarts water
• 2 lb pork shoulder, cubed
• 1 lb pork spare ribs
• 1 white onion, quartered
• 8 garlic cloves
• Salt
• 3 cans (15 oz each) white hominy, drained and rinsed
• 5 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 5 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 6 garlic cloves (for the sauce)
• 1 medium white onion, chopped (for the sauce)
• 1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• To serve: shredded lettuce or cabbage, chopped onion, sliced radishes, oregano, ground chile piquin, lime wedges, tostadas, avocado

How to make it

1. Put the pork shoulder, ribs, quartered onion, 8 garlic cloves and 1 tbsp salt in a large pot with the water. Bring to a boil, skim, then simmer partly covered until the meat is tender, about 2 hours. Discard the onion and garlic.
2. While the meat cooks, toast the chiles in a dry skillet for a few seconds a side, just until fragrant. Soak them in hot water for 15 minutes.
3. Blend the chiles with the 6 garlic cloves, chopped onion, oregano and 1 cup of the pork broth until very smooth. Strain.
4. Heat the oil in a skillet and fry the chile sauce, stirring, for 5 minutes until it darkens a little.
5. Stir the sauce and the hominy into the pot. Simmer 30 minutes so the flavors come together. Season with salt.
6. Serve in deep bowls and let everyone add lettuce, onion, radish, oregano, chile and lime, with tostadas on the side.

Written in our own words from Mely Martínez's recipe, with their quantities. The original: Pozole rojo, Mexico in My Kitchen.

More from the list