Pozole Rojo de Puerco – Slow Cooker Version

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 also contains onions, garlic, and chiles and most often made with pork – or sometimes chicken and it’s broth – 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 dish!  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 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.

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!

Pozole Rojo de Puerco - Slow Cooker Version

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Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 4 hours

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Once pork is seared, remove from pan and place in the slow cooker insert.
4. Add prepared Knorr chicken broth, hominy and remaining 1 tablespoon oregano to the slow cooker.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Pour chili paste into the slow cooker and stir well. Heat on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
8. Serve stew in bowls with optional garnishes.

Notes

Recipe sightly adapted from thelemonbowl.com