In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, warm your taste buds with this hearty and healthy Pozole Rojo recipe!
Packed with vibrant flavors, tender chunks of pork, and a rich, spicy broth, it's the perfect dish to satisfy your cravings while staying on track to reach your healthy eating goals.
Pozole Rojo Ingredients
1 ounce ancho chiles (2 to 3), stemmed and seeded
1 ounce guajillo chiles (3 to 4), stemmed and seeded
1 ounce pasilla chiles (3 to 4), stemmed and seeded
1 Morita chile, stemmed
Four 15-ounce cans of white or golden hominy, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons avocado oil
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder
16 cloves garlic (about 1 1/2 heads), peeled and lightly crushed
1 large white onion, chopped
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano, plus more for serving
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 whole clove
1 small bunch cilantro (1 ounce)
1 small bunch mint (1 ounce)
2 large bay leaves
Directions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
Arrange the ancho, guajillo, pasilla, and Morita chiles on a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer and roast until beginning to brown (being careful not to char). Roast until they are very fragrant and smell like toasted nuts, about 5 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet.
Increase the oven to 450 degrees F. Spread the hominy in an even layer on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and roast, tossing once, until lightly toasted, very fragrant, and just beginning to brown on the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on the two largest sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a large plate.
Add the garlic, onions, and 6 1/2 teaspoons salt to the same pot. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the toasted chiles, oregano, peppercorns, clove, and 10 cups water to the pot and bring to a boil. Nestle the pork into the pot; the liquid should come halfway up the sides of the pork.
Arrange the cilantro, mint, and bay leaves around the pork. Cover, reduce to low, and cook until the pork is very tender and shreds easily, 2 to 4 hrs.
Remove and discard the cilantro, mint, and bay leaves. Transfer the pork to a large plate. When cool enough to handle, shred the pork into large pieces. Loosely cover with plastic wrap.
Working in batches, puree the cooking broth and aromatics in a blender until completely smooth and no large pieces of chile remain. Season to taste.
Wipe the pot clean. Add the chile puree and toasted hominy and simmer over medium heat, uncovered, until the flavors meld, the broth is rich and the hominy has plumped up and is tender, about 20 minutes.
Stir the reserved pork into the pozole and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Divide the posole among bowls. Diced avocado, crema, crumbled queso fresco, thinly sliced green cabbage, chopped white onion, sliced radishes, dried chile de arbol, and lime wedges for serving. The pozole can be made up to 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.
Note: The hominy adds some carbs, but this is still a very protein-focused dish! You can skip the hominy if you want a less traditional and lower-carb option.
Komentarze