Smoky Pozole Rojo

Jake's note

"This pozole is built for a crowd: simmered low for fall-apart pork and layered chile flavor, then finished on the grill so every bowl gets a subtle char. Home cooks will love that most of the work is done ahead—finish and serve hot at the cookout with an easy garnish station."

Instructions

1. 1

   Char, rehydrate and puree the chiles

   Over a gas flame or in a hot dry skillet, briefly char the guajillo and ancho chiles until fragrant and slightly blistered (do not burn). Transfer to a bowl, cover with hot water and soak 15–20 minutes until pliable. In a blender, combine drained chiles, half the onion (reserve the other half for the pot), garlic, smoked paprika and 1/2–1 cup of the soaking liquid; blend to a smooth purée. Strain through a fine sieve if you prefer a silky broth.

   For this step

   • 6 piecesDried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
   • 2 piecesDried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
   • 1 wholeYellow onion (medium), halved
   • 6 clovesGarlic cloves
   • 2 tspSmoked paprika
   
2. 2

   Brown the pork

   Pat pork chunks dry and season with 1 Tbsp of the kosher salt. Heat oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown pork in batches until well caramelized, 3–4 minutes per side; transfer browned pieces to a plate. Reduce heat if the pot begins to smoke.

   For this step

   • 4 lbBoneless pork shoulder, cut into 2" chunks
   • 2 tbspKosher salt
   • 2 tbspNeutral oil (vegetable or canola)
   
3. 3

   Simmer the pozole with hominy

   Return all pork to the pot, add the reserved onion half (coarsely chopped), the chile purée, chicken stock and remaining 1 Tbsp salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, skimming any foam, then add drained hominy. Cover and simmer low for 2–2½ hours until pork is fork-tender and broth is richly flavored. Taste and adjust salt and heat (add a pinch of sugar if the chile is too acidic).

   For this step

   • 3 15 oz cansCanned hominy, drained (about 15 oz / 425 g each)
   • 10 cupsChicken stock (or water)
   
4. 4

   Make-ahead and cool

   Cool slightly, then refrigerate up to 48 hours (flavors deepen) or freeze for longer storage. If refrigerated, the fat will firm—remove excess fat from the surface before reheating for a cleaner broth. Reheat gently on the stovetop before grill finishing.
   
5. 5

   Finish on the grill for a smoky cookout finish

   For the smoky finishing touch, bring the reheated pozole to the grill in a heavy grill-safe pot or cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat with the lid off. Grill for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow slight reduction and charcoal smoke to infuse the broth. For extra texture, remove pork, shred it, sear the shreds directly on a hot grill for 3–5 minutes until charred at the edges, then return to the pot.
   
6. 6

   Garnish station, vegetarian swap and scaling tips

   Set up a garnish station with thinly sliced radishes, shredded green cabbage, lime wedges, dried Mexican oregano, finely chopped white onion, sliced avocado and chopped cilantro so guests can top bowls individually. Vegetarian swap: replace pork with 2 lb (900 g) meaty mushrooms (king oyster or cremini) or 2 cans jackfruit—sear and roast them until charred, use vegetable stock, increase to 4 cans hominy for heartiness, and simmer only 30–40 minutes. Scaling tips: to double for a larger crowd, double all ingredients and use two large pots; if you prefer a deeper chile flavor, use +50% chiles or concentrate more purée but balance with extra stock. Adjust salt and acid at the end with lime.
   

1. Over a gas flame or in a hot dry skillet, briefly char the guajillo and ancho chiles until fragrant and slightly blistered (do not burn). Transfer to a bowl, cover with hot water and soak 15–20 minutes until pliable. In a blender, combine drained chiles, half the onion (reserve the other half for the pot), garlic, smoked paprika and 1/2–1 cup of the soaking liquid; blend to a smooth purée. Strain through a fine sieve if you prefer a silky broth.
2. Pat pork chunks dry and season with 1 Tbsp of the kosher salt. Heat oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown pork in batches until well caramelized, 3–4 minutes per side; transfer browned pieces to a plate. Reduce heat if the pot begins to smoke.
3. Return all pork to the pot, add the reserved onion half (coarsely chopped), the chile purée, chicken stock and remaining 1 Tbsp salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, skimming any foam, then add drained hominy. Cover and simmer low for 2–2½ hours until pork is fork-tender and broth is richly flavored. Taste and adjust salt and heat (add a pinch of sugar if the chile is too acidic).
4. Cool slightly, then refrigerate up to 48 hours (flavors deepen) or freeze for longer storage. If refrigerated, the fat will firm—remove excess fat from the surface before reheating for a cleaner broth. Reheat gently on the stovetop before grill finishing.
5. For the smoky finishing touch, bring the reheated pozole to the grill in a heavy grill-safe pot or cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat with the lid off. Grill for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow slight reduction and charcoal smoke to infuse the broth. For extra texture, remove pork, shred it, sear the shreds directly on a hot grill for 3–5 minutes until charred at the edges, then return to the pot.
6. Set up a garnish station with thinly sliced radishes, shredded green cabbage, lime wedges, dried Mexican oregano, finely chopped white onion, sliced avocado and chopped cilantro so guests can top bowls individually. Vegetarian swap: replace pork with 2 lb (900 g) meaty mushrooms (king oyster or cremini) or 2 cans jackfruit—sear and roast them until charred, use vegetable stock, increase to 4 cans hominy for heartiness, and simmer only 30–40 minutes. Scaling tips: to double for a larger crowd, double all ingredients and use two large pots; if you prefer a deeper chile flavor, use +50% chiles or concentrate more purée but balance with extra stock. Adjust salt and acid at the end with lime.

About the author

Jake

Hello, I'm Jake. I started this recipe site with the idea that I hated recipe websites that overwhelm you with long stories and ads just to see plain content that's not helpful. My goal is to provide you with quality recipes, simple ideas and a fun cooking experience. There's lots of fun things to cook, and I think as you browse the site you'll find that TopShelf.Recipes is the place for quality recipes on the web.

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