Braised Pork Shoulder Pozole (Pozole Rojo)
Ingredients
For the rub:
- 1 tablespoon mild paprika
- 1 tablespoon mild smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon dry oregano
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2-4 teaspoons ancho chili powder start with 2 and add more later, to taste
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the posole:
- 4 pounds pork shoulder or country shoulder ribs trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil more if needed
- 1 large sweet or yellow onion finely chopped
- 6 medium garlic cloves finely minced
- 6 cups beef broth
- 2 14.5-ounce cans fire-roasted canned tomatoes
- 10-12 ounces roasted red peppers drained and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4 ounces mild green chilis (canned) undrained
- 3 large bay leaves
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 29-ounce cans white hominy (or 4 15-ounce cans) drained and rinsed
Instructions
For the prep:
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Preheat the oven to 275˚F. Cut the pork into 1-inch pieces, trimming off any large areas of fat.
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For the rub:
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Combine all of the rub ingredients in a small bowl. Stir to combine.
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Place pork in a large bowl or ziplock bag (I use a 2 gallon). Sprinkle with the rub mixture and stir to coat. If using a ziplock bag, seal the bag and shake vigorously to coat the pork.
For the posole:
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Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot to medium-high. Add the oil and swirl the pan a bit until nice and hot. Add half of the pork and spread to a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes or until meat is golden brown underneath. Flip the pork with a metal spatula, keeping the heat high enough so that the meat continues to sear. Cook for another 3 minutes then remove the pork to a clean plate. Repeat with the second half of the pork, adding a bit more oil to the pan if it seems dry.
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Add the first half of the pork back into the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onion. Stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes, scraping up the brown stuff (fond) that has formed on the bottom of the pan as the onions begin to release their juices. When the onions are soft and translucent, push the pork to the sides and add the garlic. Stir the garlic in the center of the pot for 30 seconds.
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Add the broth, reserved pork (and any juices that have accumulated on the plate), fire-roasted tomatoes, roasted red peppers, Worcestershire sauce, green chilis, bay leaves, oregano, cilantro and 1 can of the hominy, undrained.
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Bring the mixture to a boil then cover the pot tightly and place in the preheated oven for 2 hours.
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Uncover and add the second can of hominy (drained). Taste and add more ancho chili powder, if desired. Increase the oven temperature to 350 return to the oven, uncovered for 1 hour, stirring halfway through.
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Taste and add salt if needed. Serve with any of the garnishes described above in the post.