New Mexican Pozole Recipe (2024)

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SG-SF

I prefer to skip the pork belly and trim up the shoulder, then boil it for 15 min or so in the least amount of water to cover. Even high quality pork shoulder will throw off impurities. Skim off this grey foam, strain and rinse. It will also melt off some of the excess fat. Then return meat to pot. I use a combo of water and chicken stock. Delicious with green chili (anaheims) and tomatillo too. Just roast them both and proceed with recipe, minus the red chili and cumin.

Petaltown

We had this on Christmas Eve. The pork was browned first, and it was delicious. I generally brown meat first before adding to a stew or soup.

Katherine

I've been making posole for a long time. I use my slow cooker. I use pork shoulder as well, but green chiles, as the posole I've had in NM has been the green chile variety. It's fantastic in the winter with black beans and rice.

bosquebelle

Traditional posole would use pig's feet. It adds a nice, gelatinous feel to the broth. I also rinse and drain the posole once or twice during pre-cooking to eliminate some of the starchiness. Cook corn until at your desired tenderness before adding other ingredients. Once meat and broth are added the posole tends not to get any softer in my experience.

Susan

My sons grew up with Posole as their Christmas Eve tradition. The main reason we did New Mexican food was that I grew up eating Lutefisk for Christmas Eve and I think Lutefisk is child abuse. ;)

I brown my pork shoulder in lard before making red chile and green chile. I put the hominy with some of it's broth together with fresh cilantro, lime juice and salt.

Ladle the hominy mixture into bowls and ladle whichever chile you want in on top of it. Serve it with fresh, home-made tortillas.

Candace

I'm a New Mexican and we serve posole with just a little red chile in it for a bit of color. No pork belly.
It's then served to guests with sides of diced onion, cilantro, red chile sauce, Mexican oregano crushed and sprinkled on top, chopped green chile, corn and flour tortillas, queso fresca, crema, just about anything you might like. Each person "dresses"the posole with what they like. Oh, side of pinto beans Traditionally served around Christmas when folks come visiting.

ckwrites2

I live in Taos NM. This would be extremely meaty by local standards.

One common misconception is that NNM (Northern New Mexican) cuisine is super hot or spicy. It is absolutely not. The most prized chiles here are from Chimayo and are said to come from seeds brought by the Spaniards hundreds of years ago. They are all about the deep sweet citrusy flavor, not the heat which is probably around 3-5,000 scovilles.

Rowena

I really respect David Tanis's knowledge of New Mexico cooking, but this recipe disappointed me. I used nixtamal, after soaking as indicated in the recipe, and made the recipe exactly as written. For my taste, it was much too fatty, even after cooling and removal of all the fat on the surface, and I would use only pork shoulder rather than pork belly and pork shoulder. And it wasn't nearly hot enough. I ended up dosing with added chipotle con adobe and then Srichacha.

Kay

Greetings from New Mexico.
This is a wonderful recipe, and if you have never eaten posole, you don't know what you're missing. I'm wondering whether you can get frozen hominy in NYC, or wherever you might be. I think It makes the best posole,

Laura

I’m a NM native, grew up in Albuquerque, lived in Espanola for a while. In my nearly 50 years here, I’ve NEVER seen cabbage/radishes garnishing posole. Maybe they do so in in southern NM? The cuisine of the Rio Abajo (lower Rio Grande) is sometimes more Mexico-influenced than in the Rio Arriba (upper Rio Grande). In my experience, posole is served piping hot with tortillas, beans, and - if your comadre *really* loves you - with fresh tamales and biscochitos for dessert. Mmm - Christmas Eve!

MMcKaibab

If you're using Anaheims it's no longer New Mexican. And, BTW, I'm not aware of anyone here who spells posole with a "z." And it's not that way in the ingredients list so why is ther a z in the title?

lynn rogers

MMcKaibab...it is a-ok if it's not "New Mexican".... it is a traditional dish throughout many states in MEXICO. And there you will find innumerable variations using varied chiles/proteins. And as culture is a living thing, it continues to evolve. So, I have had some truly epic seafood poZole in Mexico. As for the spelling... both are widely used and while in mamy parts of US the "s" spelling is common, I have seen "z" spelling used all over..... ;-)

Joyce

For authenticity be sure to have shredded cabbage and radishes in your garnish assortment.

Steve

I'd suggest putting the pureed chiles through a strainer to get out the chunkier bits. It's how we make pozole at home.

SS

In my extended New Mexican family it was never cooked with red chili but always green. You serve it with red chili on the side for those who wish to add it, I always did. It's Christmas after all.

Mamajack

We were in northern NM this past summer and fell in love all over again with posole. I also grow Chimayo chiles in my garden, so i was excited to make a pilgrimage to Chimayó, home of my chiles, as well as of a lovely early 19th c. adobe Mission. I bought local nixtamalized blue corn there to combine with my beloved Chimayos for posole. I'm also nixing the pork belly, cumin (too TexMex) & cloves, adding chicken broth & browning the pork first.

Liam

The New Mexico Chile gives a really mild comforting flavor. Can add head as desired with hot sauce.

Louis Duran

Making posole should not take 3-4 hours. I make a green chile pork posole in my instant pot. Start to finish it takes me an hour and 15 minutes.

Haldanish

I made this with a few changes.1. Used only pork shoulder to make it less greasy. Browned it in 1T lard2. Cooked pork in homemade pork stock (3 pigs feet, mirepoix, etc) The stock sets like jello overnight and can be de-fatted.3. Used fresh hominy which I found refrigerated in my local Hispanic market (1lb/lb of meat). It needs to be slowly simmered in water for about an hour, then added during the last 45 minutes to the soup4. Added Mexican oregano to-the soup (I used 1 tablespoon)

Alice Kaiser

A good stew.The recipe made about 3 cups of the chile sauce. What am I supposed to do with the 2 cups not put in the stew?

Jose Chavez

great recipe...thanks! I used Las Palmas red chile sauce as a shortcut today, new mexico chile seco next time

Karlitos

This is a great foundational recipe around which I've made a number of variations. Always good. Some variations that have worked:1) Lamb not pork. My wife doesn't eat pork since the movie Babe the Pig. When using lamb: I brown the chunks first in some savory oil (coconut or ghee). Add and soften onion. Add garlic. With lamb I triple the garlic compared to a pork recipe. Lamb likes garlic. 2) Tonight I blended in a few chipotle in adobo into the red chiles. Yum!

Joyce B

Ok, I'm from NM. I learned how to make Posole when I was young from my Gammi....my godmother's mother. Yes, hispanic and a Native to NM. We use Pork Tenderloin, brown it, add the spices of oregano, 1 cut up onion, cumin, garlic, salt while browning it. Throw that into the crock pot. Add 1 bag of dried or frozen hominy. Get about 12 RED HATCH chile pods, cut in half, clear out seeds. Blend well with HOT water. Throw that in. Leave to cook overnight. Add lime & salt if needed & eat with tortilla.

mountain grrl

I use 1/3 white posole, 1/3 yellow posole, and 1/3 pinto beans for the base, and combine chicken thigh meat with the pork shoulder, about half and half. I skip pork belly, but do add a liter of fat-free chicken broth. I chop the yellow onion and don't use cloves.For garnish I offer sliced radishes, shredded Dutch green cabbage, chopped green onions in place of white, thinly sliced jalapenos, cilantro and lime wedges. Mix leftover garnish and top w/ ranch dressing for a delish southwest slaw.

Susan

I used 1/2 pound of pork belly and browned the meat and the onions first. I also added a chipotle pepper for flavor.

Joshua Long

From a native New Mexican... leave the cumin out. Cumin is for Tex mex. Forget the cloves, as well. Pork belly is too fatty, you'll be skimming fat for hours. New Mexicans use lean pork plus a couple of pigs feet. New Mexican posole is a very simple dish... 1 big diced onion, 4 or 5 minced garlic cloves, 1-2 cups of hot NM red chile powder, 4lbs lean cubed pork, 2 pigs feet, chicken broth and water. Simmer till the meat is tender, then add cooked posole corn. 6lb can of hominy works just fine.

mountain grrl

Also a New Mexican, I endorse Joshua's version.

Rory

I enjoyed this recipe, we used Guajillo chiles from the store, canned white hominy, and a 3 lb pork shoulder for the main parts. I am a huge fan of birria de res, so I incorporated some of that style in my Chile: in the blender I added the rehydrated guajillos, a handful of garlic cloves, a half an onion (for me a left over red cuz I hate wasting :)), then a tsp each of cumin and oregano, with some water from the chiles to blend. I used Omaha steak seasoning on the pork- better than expected!

54555

50 mins in pressure cooker

Sam

I have made this about 3 times a year over the past 5 years exactly as written. The hardest part to manage is working with the dried hominy (posole) to achieve the right texture. There are many different kinds and colors. They are all lovely, but you really have to make sure they are quite tender before proceeding with the next step of the recipe. Never do a quick soak method for the hominy because it will drink all your broth and leave you with no liquid.

cooking note

No mention of How to make nixtimal (aka hominy). I purchased bulk corn from the Mexican grocery in Monroe and tried it with out lime washing the corn and it had a tough exterior and the corn did not pop. Next time lime wash the corn or get corn already lime washed.

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New Mexican Pozole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the 3 types of pozole? ›

The three main types of pozole are blanco (white), verde (green) and rojo (red). Pozole blanco—"white pozole"—is the preparation without any additional green or red sauce.

What is pozole made of Mexican style? ›

Pozole Makes a Crowd-Pleasing Meal

This pozole rojo, or "red" pozole, is made with pork shoulder or shanks, red chiles, and lots of hominy corn.

What's the difference between pozole and posole? ›

There's really no big difference between pozole and posole, except a letter. In Mexico, where the brothy, chile-spiked soup originated, it's often spelled with a "z"; near the border and beyond, it's often spelled with an "s." It just depends where you are, and who taught you to cook it.

How has pozole changed? ›

Interestingly, historical records suggest that during special ceremonies, the meat used in pozole was not pork or chicken as we know it today, but rather human flesh. After the arrival of the Spanish, who banned cannibalistic practices, pork was substituted, as its taste was said to be similar.

Why do Mexicans eat pozole? ›

Both soups are also deeply emblematic of their cultures. The roots of pozole pre-date Spanish colonization, and the dish is said to have had ritual significance for the indigenous people of Mexico. Its principal ingredient, corn, was a sacred crop to the Aztecs and Mayans.

What makes pozole so good? ›

Hot broth feels soothing on a sore throat, and it also helps hydrate the body. But pozole can do all that and more. Take the restorative properties of chicken noodle soup and add the spice of chilies, and you get a throat-soothing, hydrating, sinus-clearing, detoxifying miracle food.

How did the Mayans make pozole? ›

The indigenous ancestors used human flesh in the stew. Aztec priests would make human sacrifices to their gods, offering up the heart and using the rest of the flesh for a ceremonial pozole. After the Spanish conquest, Spanish rulers outlawed cannibalism, and so pork was used in replacement of human flesh in pozole.

Do you drain hominy for pozole? ›

If you are using canned hominy, make sure to drain it before adding it to the stew. To cook dried hominy, place 1 cup in a large pot and cover it with cold water. Bring to a boil and add plenty of salt to season it. Reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer, and cook until just tender, about 2 hours.

What does pozole mean in English? ›

: a thick soup chiefly of Mexico and the U.S. Southwest made with pork, hominy, garlic, and chili.

Is pozole healthy or unhealthy? ›

Conclusion. As we've seen in this post, pozole can be a healthy and nutritious addition to your diet. It is a good source of protein, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals.

Is menudo or posole better? ›

Q1: Is posole or menudo healthier? Posole can be made a bit leaner than menudo thanks to the option of making it with chicken, but both dishes are full of vegetables and different groups of nutrients, so honestly, both soups are pretty healthy overall.

Was pozole made with human meat? ›

A second choice of protein for early pozole is a bit more familiar—and gory: human. Research shows that during this time, human flesh was consumed as part of special rituals. The remains were chopped and cooked with maíz, and the meal was shared as part of religious communion.

How many types of pozole are there? ›

3 Types of Pozole

There are three varieties of pozole—green, white, and red—that are made with either chicken or pork shoulder. (Vegetarian preparations swap in beans and vegetable stock.)

What is a fun fact about pozole? ›

Pozole was mentioned in the 16th century Florentine Codex by Bernardino de Sahagún. Since maize was a sacred plant for the Aztecs and other inhabitants of Mesoamerica, pozole was made to be consumed on special occasions.

What is served with posole? ›

Pozole is traditionally seasoned with dried oregano and fresh or dried chiles, and is served with condiments such as fresh cilantro, dried oregano, lime juice, diced onions, sliced radishes, avocados, shredded cabbage and tostadas.

Is there different types of pozole? ›

There are three main types of pozole, each named for the color of the soup: verde, rojo and blanco.

What is the difference between pozole verde and pozole rojo? ›

Pozole not only has a rojo and verde version but also a blanco (white) as well. The differences between the three are pretty simple: rojo uses dried chiles, verde uses fresh green chiles, and blanco omits chiles altogether.

What's the difference between pozole and menudo? ›

The big difference between these two soups is the meat that they use. While pork and chicken are commonly used to make pozole, menudo uses tripe, which is the stomach lining of the cow with a chewy texture very similar to that of sautéed calamari.

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