Pork and Hominy Stew (Posole Rojo)

Name: Pork and Hominy Stew (Posole Rojo)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 2 h 45 min
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 lb (1360 g) boneless pork shoulder (pork butt), trimmed of thick fat caps, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) cubes, patted very dry; 3 tsp (9 g) kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), divided: 2 tsp for the pork, 1 tsp for the chile sauce; kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), for finishing, added to taste at the end, ¼ tsp at a time; 2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil such as avocado or canola; 1 large (300 g) large white onion, peeled and halved through the root; one half left whole, the other half roughly chopped; 8 cloves (40 g) garlic, peeled; 4 cloves lightly smashed, 4 left whole; 2 whole (1 g) dried bay leaves; 10 cups (2400 ml) low-sodium chicken broth; 2 cans (15 oz / 425 g each) (510 g) canned white or yellow hominy, drained and rinsed well under cold water (metric is total drained weight, about 3 cups); 6 whole (45 g) dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, slit open, and seeded; 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water, just boiled, for soaking the chiles; all of it goes into the blender with the chiles; 1 tbsp (3 g) dried Mexican oregano, crumbled between your fingers; 1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin; 3 cups (200 g) green cabbage, thinly shredded; 6 whole (100 g) radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced; 2 whole (100 g) limes, cut into 8 wedges; ½ cup (15 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped; 2 whole (300 g) ripe avocados, halved, pitted, and diced just before serving (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender chunks of pork shoulder and plump hominy simmer in a brick-red broth built from toasted guajillo chiles, garlic, and Mexican oregano. Finish each bowl with crunchy cabbage, radish, cilantro, and lime for a deeply savory, mildly spicy stew.

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 2 hr 45 min
Wait: 25 min
Total: 3 hr 45 min
Makes: About 3½ quarts (8 generous bowls)

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the stew
3 lb (1360 g) boneless pork shoulder (pork butt), trimmed of thick fat caps, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) cubes, patted very dry
3 tsp (9 g) kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), divided: 2 tsp for the pork, 1 tsp for the chile sauce
kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), for finishing, added to taste at the end, ¼ tsp at a time
2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil such as avocado or canola
1 large (300 g) large white onion, peeled and halved through the root; one half left whole, the other half roughly chopped
8 cloves (40 g) garlic, peeled; 4 cloves lightly smashed, 4 left whole
2 whole (1 g) dried bay leaves
10 cups (2400 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
2 cans (15 oz / 425 g each) (510 g) canned white or yellow hominy, drained and rinsed well under cold water (metric is total drained weight, about 3 cups)
For the chile sauce
6 whole (45 g) dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, slit open, and seeded
1 cup (240 ml) boiling water, just boiled, for soaking the chiles; all of it goes into the blender with the chiles
1 tbsp (3 g) dried Mexican oregano, crumbled between your fingers
1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin
For serving
3 cups (200 g) green cabbage, thinly shredded
6 whole (100 g) radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 whole (100 g) limes, cut into 8 wedges
½ cup (15 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
2 whole (300 g) ripe avocados, halved, pitted, and diced just before serving (optional)

Equipment (8)

6-quart (5.5 L) heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven with lid
Large dry skillet, 10–12 inch (25–30 cm), for toasting chiles
Blender
Fine-mesh strainer
Small heatproof bowl and small plate (to hold chiles under water)
Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
Sharp chef's knife and cutting board
Kettle or small pot for boiling water

Steps

Before you start

Plan on about 3¾ hours start to finish; most of it is unattended simmering on the stovetop. No oven is needed.
Guajillo chiles burn quickly. Toast them only until fragrant, or the sauce will taste bitter.
Pat the pork very dry with paper towels so it browns instead of steaming.
Salt is split up: 2 tsp on the pork, 1 tsp in the chile sauce, then a final adjustment at the end with the separate finishing salt.
Use low-sodium broth so you can control the salt, since the stew reduces as it simmers.

1
Toast the chiles
- Set a dry 10–12-inch (25–30 cm) skillet over medium-low heat.
- Working in 2 batches, lay the seeded guajillo chiles flat and press each with a spatula for 15–20 seconds per side, until they smell fruity and toasty and darken slightly.
- Transfer to a heatproof bowl.
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Ready when: Chiles are fragrant, slightly darker, and pliable; no black spots or acrid smoke.
Tip: If a chile scorches or smells bitter, discard it and toast a fresh one; burnt chile ruins the whole pot.
2
Soak the chiles
- Pour the 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water over the toasted chiles.
- Weigh them down with a small plate so they stay submerged.
- Let them soak for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut and dry the pork and prep the onion and garlic as listed.
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Ready when: Chiles are completely soft and bend without cracking.
3
Season and brown pork
- Toss the pork cubes with 2 teaspoons of the kosher salt (keep the remaining 1 teaspoon for the sauce).
- Heat the oil in a 6-quart (5.5 L) heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Brown the pork in 2–3 batches, leaving space between pieces, for 2–3 minutes per side.
- Move each finished batch to a plate.
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Ready when: Pork has a deep golden-brown crust on at least two sides; it does not need to be cooked through.
Tip: Crowding the pot makes the pork steam and turn gray. Brown in batches.
4
Start the pork broth
- Return all the pork and any juices to the pot.
- Add the whole onion half, the 4 smashed garlic cloves, the bay leaves, and the 10 cups (2.4 L) chicken broth.
- Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low.
- Skim any gray foam from the surface.
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Ready when: Liquid reaches a full boil, then settles to a bare simmer with only a few bubbles breaking the surface.
5
Simmer pork until tender-ish
- Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar.
- Simmer gently on low heat for 75 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes.
- The pork will be mostly tender but still a bit firm at this point; the final simmer finishes it.
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Ready when: A pork cube resists slightly when pierced with a fork but is no longer tough.
Tip: Keep it at a gentle simmer; a hard boil toughens the meat. If pork pokes above the liquid, add ½ cup (120 ml) hot water.
6
Blend the chile sauce
- While the pork simmers, put the soaked chiles and all of their soaking water in a blender.
- Add the chopped onion half, the 4 whole garlic cloves, the oregano, cumin, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
- Blend on high for 1–2 minutes.
- Press the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding the skins and seeds left behind.
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Ready when: Sauce is completely smooth, brick red, and pours like thin tomato sauce.
Tip: Straining removes tough chile skins and gives a silky broth. Scrape the underside of the strainer to get all the sauce.
7
Add the chile sauce
- Remove and discard the onion half and bay leaves from the pot.
- Stir in the strained chile sauce.
- Return to a simmer over medium-low heat, then lower the heat so it barely bubbles.
- Cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring once.
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Ready when: Broth is a uniform deep red and bubbles gently at the edges.
8
Add hominy and finish
- Stir in the drained, rinsed hominy.
- Cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer on low for 45 minutes more, stirring every 15 minutes and scraping the bottom.
- Meanwhile, prepare the cabbage, radishes, lime wedges, cilantro, and avocado for serving.
- If the pork is not yet tender at 45 minutes, keep simmering in 10-minute increments.
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Ready when: Pork shreds easily when pressed with a spoon (about 195°F/90°C inside) and the hominy is tender and slightly bloomed.
Tip: If the stew thickens too much or the pork sticks out of the liquid, add ½ cup (120 ml) hot water at a time.
9
Season and rest
- Skim excess red fat from the surface with a spoon if you prefer a leaner broth.
- Taste and add the finishing salt, ¼ teaspoon at a time, until the broth tastes savory and bright.
- Turn off the heat and let the stew rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
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Ready when: Broth tastes well-seasoned and rounded, not flat.
Tip: Season the final amount at the end; the stew reduces as it cooks and over-salting early is hard to fix.
10
Serve with garnishes
- Ladle the stew into warm bowls, making sure each gets plenty of pork and hominy.
- Top with a handful of cabbage, a few radish slices, cilantro, and diced avocado if using.
- Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over each bowl.
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Tip: Add the cabbage right before eating so it stays crisp.

Good to know

Tips

Do not skip straining the chile sauce; it is what gives the broth a smooth, silky texture.
Pork shoulder has plenty of fat and collagen, so avoid lean cuts like loin, which turn dry and stringy.
Rinse canned hominy well to remove the briny canning liquid, which can make the stew taste flat.
For more heat, blend 1–2 dried chiles de árbol into the sauce; for less, make sure every guajillo is fully seeded.

Make ahead

The stew tastes even better the next day. Cook through step 9, cool, and refrigerate up to 3 days. Prepare the garnishes fresh when serving.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: cool completely and store in an airtight container up to 4 days. Freezer: freeze without garnishes up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming hot (165°F/74°C), adding a splash of broth or water if thick.

Substitutions

dried guajillo chiles → 3 guajillo plus 3 ancho or New Mexico dried chiles. Ancho adds a sweeter, fruitier depth; New Mexico chiles are slightly earthier. Keep the total at about 6 chiles.
dried Mexican oregano → regular dried oregano. Use 2 teaspoons; Mexican oregano is more citrusy and earthy, but regular oregano works.
low-sodium chicken broth → water. Use 10 cups water plus an extra 1 teaspoon salt added at the end; the stew will be lighter but still flavorful because of the pork.
boneless pork shoulder (pork butt) → bone-in pork country-style ribs. Use 3½ lb (1.6 kg); remove the bones before serving. Keep simmering until the meat is fork-tender.