Until I met my husband I have never even heard of this incredible stew. I am so saddened that I spend the first quarter of my life without ever tasting it. I remember the first time Kurt described it to me. I was new to Mexican cuisine and had no idea what he was talking about. We drove out to a local Mexican restaurant in hopes of tasting this incredible dish, but to my disappointment they did not have any. Determined I found the recipe on my IPhone, stopped at the grocery store and a few hours later I had a bowl of my first ever Pozole. It was so good, i was in love and it became a new staple in our house. Over the last few years as I really focused on learning to cook Mexican dishes it became more apparent to me that my Pozole was far from the real deal. And that’s when I discovered Roberto Santibanez’s Pozole. I changed some of the ingredients to make it a little easier to make. The best way you can understand what I’m talking about is to simply make this dish. Trust me!
Don’t be discouraged by the ingredients, they are actually quite simple to find. The prep work is worth it as well. Either pork or chicken works great as well. I would love to tell you to make a batch and freeze it, but I don’t know if thats possible. At least not in this house, never makes it – we eat it all. 
Start with roasting tomatoes about 15-20 minutes in the oven.
While tomatoes roast, cut the stem off and discard the seeds from the dried guajillo chiles. You can find them in latin supermarkets or specialty stores. Then heat up a skillet and let the chiles toast a few minutes on each side.
Once toasted transfer to a bowl, top with hot water and cover with a plate. The hot water and the steam will rehydrate and soften the chile and the smell in the kitchen will be divine. Don’t worry guajillo chiles are not spicy and barely have any heat but they do have a nice smoky flavor with berry undertones.
Combine roasted tomatoes, guajillo chiles, onion and garlic in a blender. If you have time the onion slices and garlic can be charred for extra flavor. Add 1/4 cup chicken stock, vinegar and salt and blend together until very smooth. (It can even be strained at this point)
Heat up a Dutch oven or a heavy pot and cook the mixture for about 15 minutes on medium low heat until its slightly thicker. This is also the time to add cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. As you are simmering the sauce if need be add more chicken stock to keep it the same consistency. When the sauce is ready add pork chunks, remaining chicken broth, hominy, beans, oregano and cilantro. Simmer until pork if fully cooked, adjust salt if necessary and serve with avocado, lettuce, onion and lime.
I am not going to suggest any wines with this one. This is a deeply flavorful dish and requires a shot of tequila. Kurt and I collect tequila, especially in pretty bottles like these that we brought back from Mexico.
Check out Shine Supper Club to find other recipes of One-Pot Meals.
Pozole
Dinner
Ingredients
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3 medium tomatoes
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4 dried, guajillo chiles, stem cut and seeds discarded
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1 large onion, sliced thick
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4 garlic cloves
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1 1/2 lb pork or chicken
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2 tbsp white vinegar
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1 tbsp chili, preferably a chili mix
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4 cups chicken stock
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1/8 tsp cinnamon
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1/8 tsp nutmeg
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1/4 tsp oregano
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2 cloves
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1 14oz can hominy, rinsed
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1 14oz can kidney beans, rinsed
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fresh cilantro to taste
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salt and pepper to taste
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Avocado, lettuce, lime and onion - toppings
Directions
- 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut an x at the top of each tomato and roast about 15 min.
- 2. Toast guajillo chiles in a skillet about 3 min on each side and move to a bowl. Top with hot water, cover with a plate and let sit about 25 min.
- 3. In a blender, combine roasted tomatoes, drained chiles, vinegar, onion and garlic. Simmer the sauce about 15 minutes adding more chicken stock if necessary to keep the same consistency.
- 4. Season with cinnamon, nutmeg, chili powder, cloves and salt.
- 5. Add pork, hominy, beans and remaining chicken stock. Simmer until pork is fully cooked.
- 6. Serve with toppings: avocado, onion, lime and lettuce
