Pozole is a hearty rich Mexican stew, that originated in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, and is traditionally prepared during special occasions or holidays. The main ingredient is hominy-dried white or yellow corn kernels that have been boiled and soaked in slake lime to remove the hull, and then drained, rinsed, and cooked for about 2 hours. Pozole Rojo de Puerco also contains onions, garlic, and chiles and most often made with pork – or sometimes chicken – and is always served with fresh toppings, such as cabbage or lettuce, radishes, cilantro, and fresh lime juice.
Sounds complicated? Doesn’t have to be. You know me, I always look for a more modern and easy way to enjoy delicious Mexican cuisine! This version of Pozole Rojo de Puerco is easy to prepare at home, using canned hominy to make the process a bit faster and even though it doesn’t contain the traditional whole pig’s head or pig’s feet, it’s delicious! I went with a pozole pork mix that can be purchased at Northgate Market or your nearest Mexican supermarket. You could also use country-style pork ribs from the loin section. Country-style ribs are sold boneless or on the bone.
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The chile’s I use are guajillo and only a few New Mexico (New Mexico chiles can be quite hot, so add with caution) and they can be found at your local Mexican market. Instead of using canned chicken broth, I used Knorr Chicken Bouillon. In fact, if you would like to try a pozole with a tomato base vs chiles, you may want to check out Knorr pozole rojo recipe here. I of course want to make it even easier by placing all ingredients in a slow cooker and wake up to a delicious pozole breakfast or you can prepare it early lunch to have the best dinner at home. Now I don’t know about you, but I can’t eat my pozole without bolillos, oval Mexican sandwich rolls, which are usually served with the soup. ¡Provecho!
Easy Slow Cooker Pozole Rojo de Puerco Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ounces dried chilis - combination of 3 ounces guajillo and 1 ounce of New Mexico
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder cut in large chunks
- 1 tablespoon salt divided
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons Mexican oregano divided
- 8 cups of Knorr prepared chicken broth
- 2 14-ounce cans white hominy drained and rinsed
- 1 medium onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic peeled and halved
- preferred garnish
Instructions
- Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles and place in a large bowl. Cover chiles with boiling water and top with an upside down plate to keep them submerged. Let them sit until softened for at least 30 minutes.
- While the chiles are softening, heat a deep pan over high heat and with canola oil. Sprinkle pork chunks with 2 teaspoons of the salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the oregano. Brown pork in pan until pieces start to form a crust. This should take about 7-8 minutes.
- Once pork is seared, remove from pan and place in the slow cooker insert.
- Add prepared Knorr chicken broth, hominy and remaining 1 tablespoon oregano to the slow cooker.
- To make the red chile paste, place softened chile and 1 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid into a blender or food processor. Add onion, garlic and remaining 1 teaspoon salt then puree until smooth.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour chili paste over the strainer. Use a spoon to push the chili paste through removing any large pieces. Taste paste for seasoning and add salt or pepper if needed.
- Pour chili paste into the slow cooker and stir well. Heat on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Serve stew in bowls with optional garnishes.
Notes
Recipe sightly adapted from http://thelemonbowl.com
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