This is from Rick Bayless’ book, Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico, pages 107-108:
“When hominy is simmering with pork and dried red chile, the aromas are wonderfully mouth-watering. A big bowl of the rich soup, topped with its crunchy fresh vegetables, makes a full informal meal for those who like good eating.”
“While any Mexican will say ‘Guadalajara’ as fast as you can say ‘pozole,’ this soup is supper and weekend food most everywhere in the Republic, save Yucatan. White pozole (simmered without the red chile) is the typical Guadalajara version, where the adorning sprinkle of oregano is often omitted. My first choice is this full-flavored Michoacan recipe – which comes from a transplanted vendor at the Coyoacan prepared foods market in Mexico City.”
- Serves: 16 servings
- Serving size: 2 cups
- Calories: 214
- Fat: 5.444g
- Saturated fat: 1.4g
- Unsaturated fat: 1.118g
- Trans fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23.53
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 1044mg
- Fiber: 4.125
- Protein: 16.58
- Cholesterol: 27.22
- 4 quarts canned hominy, drained and rinsed
- 2 pounds lean, boneless pork shoulder, in a single piece
- 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 4 large (about 2 ounces total) dried chiles anchos, stemmed, seeded and deveined
- 4 large (about 1 ounce total) dried chiles guajillos, stemmed, seeded and deveined
- 4 large (about 1 ounce total) dried chiles guajillos, stemmed, seeded and deveined
- About 1 tablespoon of salt
- ½ head of cabbage, cored and very thinly sliced
- 8 to 10 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1½ cups finely chopped onion
- 2 to 3 large limes, cut into wedges
- 15 to 20 Crispy fried tortillas (or tortilla strips or chips)
- Measure 7 quarts of water into a kettle or stockpot
- Add the pork shoulder, the garlic, and the hominy to the water
- Bring the stock to a boil and then turn down to a simmer
- Tear the chiles into large, flat pieces and toast them, a few at a time, on a griddle or heavy skillet set over medium heat, using a metal spatula to press them firmly against the hot surface until they crackle and blister, then flipping them over and pressing them down again. Remove to a bowl, cover with boiling water, weight with a place to keep them submerged, and soak for 30 minutes.
- Drain, place in a blender jar, and add ½ cup water; blend until smooth. Strain through a medium-mesh sieve into the simmering soup, then mix well.
- Generously season the soup with salt and let simmer for another hour or so.
- Remove the pork shoulder from the soup and let cool.
- When cool enough to handle, remove any fat, and chop the meat into 1 inch pieces and roughly shred it.
- Just before serving, add the meat to the pot and let simmer a few minutes to reheat
- Ladle the soup into large bowls, top each one with a portion of shredded cabbage and some sliced radishes
- Add onion, oregano, and lime wedges as desired
- The tortilla chips are a crunchy accompaniment to enjoy between big spoonfuls of the soup.