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Pozole Verde
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- Total Time
- 3 to 4 hours, plus overnight soaking
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 1pound dried pozole, soaked overnight in cold water
- 1head garlic, divided into cloves but not peeled
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 4pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1small onion
- 2bay leaves
- 6cloves
- 1pound tomatillos, diced, about 2 cups
- 1small chayote squash, diced (optional)
- 2medium zucchini, diced
- Kernels from 3 large ears corn, about 2 cups
- 1cup finely diced onion
- 2cups roughly chopped cilantro
- ¼cup finely chopped hot green chile, such as serrano or jalapeño
- ¼cup dried oregano
- 2firm-ripe avocados, cut into thick slices
- Roasted poblano chile strips (optional)
- Lime wedges
For the Stew
For the Garnish
Preparation
- Step 1
Drain pozole and transfer to a large soup pot. Add water to cover by 3 inches and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, add garlic and cook pozole for 2½ to 3 hours, until kernels are tender and beginning to burst. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt halfway through cooking and be sure to keep the cooking liquid topped up. (Pozole kernels may be cooked in advance, up to 1 day ahead.)
- Step 2
Season pork well with salt and pepper. Place in large soup pot and cover with 12 cups water. Add onion, bay leaves and cloves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered with lid ajar, until very tender, about 1½ hours.
- Step 3
Combine cooked pozole (with broth) and cooked pork (with broth) in one pot. Simmer for 15 minutes, then add tomatillos, chayote, zucchini and corn and cook for 5 minutes more. Taste broth and adjust seasoning. Add a little more water if necessary to keep a soupy consistency.
- Step 4
Serve in large bowls. Pass garnishes separately.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Yes, I've used canned. I'm sure purists faint, but canned works fine. Rinse, for sure.
I have made this twice and the quality of the pozole is key. You can mail order dried kernels from Rancho Gordo easily and it will not need to soak overnight an cooks more quickly. While you're at it buy their Oregano Indio and add a stunning, dusky note to the stew. I've used pork shoulder and shank (from the grocery or my local farmers market) and there's no need to cube the meat (or saute it)-- it will fall off the bone. If you have time, refrigerate stock and skim off fat.
Adding a nice swirl of extra virgin olive oil to each bowl really boosts the flavors, esp. if you squeeze some lime juice on top....
Seems like you should be able to substitute canned hominy (same thing as pozole) and pork stew meat. Would make the recipe a lot easier. Taco chips are often served as well.
I have used turkey thighs in pozole and find it works well. I have even used leftover Thanksgiving turkey too with some leftover turkey broth or chicken broth, a great way to use leftovers.
You can save time by cooking the pozole in a pressure cooker for about 20 minutes, draining when done. Same with the pork. About 30 minutes will get it pretty well done but save the cooking broth. Combine everything as in step 3 but let it simmer for at least 30 minutes.
Loved this! Fresher and greener than other pozoles I've made, hardy but light at the same time (if that is possible). The garnishes make it. I use Rancho Gordo dried pozole, which is so much better than canned.
I will halve the recipe next time. My biggest pot couldn't hold all the liquid.
Used dried Pozole. Followed recipe to the letter. Bland and watery. Should have read notes from other cooks. The pork should absolutely be browned before the long cook. Needs jalapeños! Will not make again.
Pozole is the dish. Do you mean hominy or Maiz blanco/Mexicano?
Could this work with chicken thighs?
Why does he call for unpeeled garlic cloves?
Making yet another version of pozole right now, incorporating suggestions from this recipe and comments plus same from Bittman’s pozole rojo. I am not planful enough to order Rancho Gordo & only local market that carried the brand closed due to explosive rent. Los Chileros organic works great- pre-treated, blooms in about 2 hours precooking, IME. Also, if not peeling garlic, why not just throw in the entire head intact? Easier to fish out, then squeeze the softened cloves back in. Just sayin’.
Delicious! I browned the meat before simmering it for some extra flavor. Also used canned hominy and, since our grocery doesn’t have tomatillos, I added some chopped tomato, extra lime juice, and salsa verde to taste to the broth instead - it was divine :)
Used canned hominy and chicken thighs, added extra vegetables. Served with corn tortillas. Turned out great-- light, refreshing early summer soup/stew. Don't skimp on the garnish and avocado, they really lifted the final product.
Incredibly delicious. Started by browning 1-2 inch cubes.Added a large green polano to the puree, canned tomatilos, well drained. Otherwise followed exactly. added puree to taste - the soup can stand alone without it. Serve with radishes, pepitos, warm tortillas, cilantro. ABSOLUTELY USE dried Rancho Gordo posole - key to flavor. Could use masa to thicken if needed. Used mostly chicken broth instead of water. Before adding puree, used shears to cut meat into bite size.
I added a small can of diced green chilis as well as some sliced carrots for color and a potato for heft. Don’t forget to include grated pepper jack with the garnishes
7/11/22 - Reduced quantity - Used 2 lbs of country style pork shoulder cut into chunks - next time use all zucchini and tomatillos and corn to increase veggies and use frozen garlic cloves. Organic salt/lime or jalapeno/lime "Late July". Steeped cilantro stems in mesh bag at the end.
Bright, summery posole. I used one 28 oz and one 15 oz can of hominy because I didn’t have time to deal with dried. Browned the pork in a little oil in batches and then sautéed the onion in the drippings until it was soft, adding a hefty amount of minced garlic for the last minute or two. Added the water and scraped up the fond, then added back in browned pork and cooked according to directions. It wouldn’t hurt to cook the green veg for a bit longer than the recipe calls for.
I made this for us today : I’d run out of Mexican oregano to my surprise and had to order more, cheaper with fuel prices than driving 25 miles to the nearest Mexican food market in Palatka. . I admit to using only a scant pinch of “oregano” which KATHE and I could detect as it cooled. It did not ruin the pozole … Everything else was as expected : I did use some 1.2 cups water from hominy boil to bring pot to right level on top of beef and chicken broth instead of plain water. Good recipe!!
This version sounds lovely..I do have the dried pozole but for an easy weeknight meal just take leftover pork roast, cube it and saute it with onion and garlic- add a carton of chicken broth, a can of hominy and a good quality salsa verde. Southwest ceasar on the side -radish, cilantro, and white onion with some tortilla chips to top the soup and you have an easy prep weeknight dish that is almost as good as anything I have gotten in Mexico.
delicious. i used canned pozole. rinsed as advised. really enjoyable.
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