Some dishes are meant to be shared by the ladleful, and pozole is chief among them. This version, a red pozole with a sauce of ancho and guajillo chiles, is adapted from a recipe by chef and television host Pati Jinich, published on her website as Red Pozole with Traditional Garnishes, where it is credited to her series Pati’s Mexican Table. The original yields 12 servings, which makes it well suited to a September gathering.
A little background
Jinich writes that pozole comes in three main varieties, green, red and white, which, she notes, coincidentally reflect the colors of the Mexican flag, and that the dish carries centuries of history, according to her introduction to a Guerrero-style green pozole. The heart of any version is hominy. Jinich explains that maíz cacahuacintle, the giant corn used for pozole, has kernels that are whiter, softer and thicker, and that its name combines Náhuatl words for corn and cacao, a nod to the kernel’s size, on her guide to the ingredient.
Ingredients
For the pozole
- 1 pound dried hominy plus 1 head of garlic, or 3 (29-ounce) cans hominy, drained and rinsed
- 2 whole chickens (about 3 pounds each), cut into pieces, or 3 pounds chicken and 3 pounds pork
- 1 white onion, peeled
- 5 sprigs cilantro
- 1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
For the chile sauce
- 2 ancho chiles and 3 guajillo chiles (about 1 ounce each type), rinsed, stemmed and seeded
- 3 tablespoons chopped white onion and 3 garlic cloves
- A pinch of ground cumin and 2 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
To serve: halved limes, sliced radishes, thinly sliced romaine, chopped white onion, ground dried chile, dried oregano, and tostadas or tortilla chips.
Method
- If using dried hominy, cover it generously with water, add the head of garlic and simmer over medium-low heat until the kernels are tender and have opened, or “bloomed,” skimming occasionally. Jinich’s recipe allows four to five hours. With canned hominy, skip this step.
- Cover the meat with water, add the onion, cilantro and salt, and simmer until cooked through, about 35 minutes for chicken. Reserve the broth. Once cool, shred the meat, discarding skin and bones.
- Combine the hominy (with its cooking liquid, or with 2 cups water if canned), the shredded meat and its broth. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, simmer the chiles in water for about 10 minutes until soft. Blend with 1/2 cup of their cooking liquid, the onion, garlic, cumin, cloves and salt until smooth, then strain.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the chile purée and cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Stir it into the pozole and simmer 25 minutes more. Adjust the seasoning.
- Serve in deep bowls, with the garnishes arranged separately so each guest can finish their own.
Notes for the host
On salting, Jinich advises on her hominy page that salt should be added only after dried hominy finishes cooking, to keep the kernels from toughening. The garnishes are not decoration: the crunch of radish and lettuce and the sharpness of lime are what balance the rich, chile-deep broth. Setting them out family-style turns dinner into an event, which is exactly what pozole does best.
For the complete original, including Jinich’s own wording and variations, see her recipe.
See all sources
- Red Pozole with Traditional Garnishes, Pati Jinich, undated
- Pozole: Try It Green!, Pati Jinich, undated
- Hominy, Maíz Cacahuacintle, Mote or Giant Corn, Pati Jinich, undated
Lead image: illustrative photo by Jarritos Mexican Soda on Unsplash.
