Posole Rojo with Pork

This Posole Rojo with Pork has got to be one of THE most flavorful soups I have made in a long time. It’s my new favorite. As Dave said, “I could live on this!”

The secret comes from the variety of dried and fresh chili peppers used.

I go to a local Mexican market, La Tiendita Mexican Market over near Clairemont Square. They are always so helpful and what’s even better, they have fresh masa, but you need to order a day in advance. Although I have a market I go to for the dried chiles, I also find them in many supermarkets where Mexican food items are located, or online.

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You might think because of all the different peppers this would be a hot dish, but it’s the flavors from all the chilies, not their heat, that makes this soup come to life. Don’t get me wrong, this does have a small kick, but not what you’d expect. With the soft hominy and beans, the chunks of pork, which could easily be changed with using chicken, it is a wonderful and filling meal.

I posted this recipe about a year ago and just felt it didn’t get it’s due. I mean, it’s terrific, but I know a year ago I didn’t have the number of followers and friends that I do today and wanted to share it with you guys. In this recipe I chose to cook it on the stove top, but you could just as easily use a pressure cooker and cut the time down considerably. I have included both cooking times and instructions for both pressure cooker and a stove top Dutch oven or large soup pot methods. I use my trusty Instant Pot 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker, 6Qt/1000W, Stainless Steel (IP-DUO60).

Break off the stems of the chiles de arbol, guajillo chiles and ancho chiles and shake out as many seeds as possible. You can put the chiles in a tall container, cover with boiling water and keep them submerged with a coffee cup on top like I did, or in a bowl, cover with boiling water and weigh the chiles down with a plate, submerged and soak until soft, about 30 minutes.

Transfer the chiles, 4 cloves of garlic, kosher salt and 1 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid to a blender and purée until smooth. Strain the chili mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pushing the sauce through with a spoon and discard the solids. You should have about 2 cups.

Season the pork all over with the cumin and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and brown on all sides in a large stock pot (or pressure cooker, like the Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker, 6Qt/1000W with oil. Do not overcrowd the pan and steam the meat, do this in several batches. You want this browned and crispy on the edges!

Add the onion, chopped garlic, diced celery, tomatoes, jalapeños and serrano peppers along with the browned pork back to the pan and cook another 5 minutes.

Stir in water, the chicken broth, Mexican oregano, bay leaves, salt and 2 cups of the chile purée. If using a Dutch oven or large stockpot on the stovetop bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Partially cover and cook, stirring the pork a few times, until tender, about 2 hours. If using a pressure cooker, bring to a low boil, and close pressure cooker lid. Bring to a slow and steady steam and cook on medium for 25 minutes.

Release pressure cooker steam per manufacturer’s instructions. Stir in the hominy and white beans and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the pork starts falling apart for 5 minutes OR about 1 hour more if using a Dutch oven or large stockpot on the stovetop. Remove the bay leaves and discard.

Serve with diced avocados and chopped cilantro on top. With a squeeze some fresh lime juice over the top, I was in heaven! This is just so good!

5 from 2 votes

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Homemade Posole Rojo with Pork

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

1 hr 5 mins

 

Posole Rojo with Pork - blended chiles, browned pork with jalapeno and serrano and hominy in a rich, seasoned chicken broth topped with avocado and cilantro.
NOTE- In this recipe I give times for using a pressure cooker and Dutch oven or large stock pot, but the pressure cooker reduces the cooking time considerably.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 6

Calories: 680 kcal

Author: Kevin Is Cooking

Ingredients

• 4 dried chiles de arbol
• 4 dried guajillo chiles
• 4 dried ancho chiles
• 6 cloves garlic 2 chopped
• Kosher salt
• 2 lbs pork shoulder trimmed and cut 1 inch cubes
• 3 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large white onion chopped
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 2 roma tomatoes diced
• 2 jalapeños seeded and diced
• 1 Serrano pepper seeded and diced
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp dried Mexican oregano
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 15 oz cans white hominy drained and rinsed
• 1 15 oz can white beans
• Diced avocado and/or fresh cilantro, for topping

Instructions

1. Break the stems off the chiles de arbol, guajillo chiles and ancho chiles and shake out as many seeds as possible. You can put the chiles in a tall container, cover with boiling water and keep them submerged with a coffee cup on top like I did, or in a bowl, cover with boiling water and weigh the chiles down with a plate, submerged and soak until soft, about 30 minutes. Transfer the chiles, 4 cloves of garlic, kosher salt and 1 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid to a blender and purée until smooth. Strain the chili mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pushing the sauce through with a rubber spatula and discard the solids. You should have about 2 cups.

2. Season the pork all over with the cumin and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and brown on all sides in a pressure cooker (See Note 1), Dutch oven or large stock pot with oil. Do not overcrowd the pan and steam the meat, do this in several batches. Add the onion, chopped garlic, diced celery, tomatoes, jalapeños and serrano peppers along with the browned pork back to the pan and cook another 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the water, chicken broth, Mexican oregano, bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 cup of the chile sauce, reserve the balance for later. Bring to a low boil, and close pressure cooker lid. Bring to a slow and steady steam and cook on medium for 25 minutes. If using a Dutch oven or large stockpot reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Partially cover and cook, turning the pork a few times, until tender, about 2 hours.
4. Release pressure cooker steam per manufacturer's instructions. Stir in the hominy and white beans and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the pork starts falling apart for 5 minutes OR about 1 hour more if cooking on stovetop in a Dutch oven or large stockpot. Remove the bay leaves.
5. Serve with diced avocados and chopped cilantro on top.

Recipe Notes

1. NOTE- In this recipe I give times for using a pressure cooker and Dutch oven or large stock pot, but the pressure cooker reduces the cooking time considerably.

2. If you're converting meat from a slow cooker to an Instant Pot, follow this rule: if the meat dish cooks in eight hours on low or four hours on high in the slow cooker, it will cook in 25-30 minutes in the Instant Pot. Make sure the Instant Pot setting reads "sealing" and not "venting" to ensure it's cooked properly.

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Posole Rojo with Pork

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 680 Calories from Fat 325

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 36.1g 56%

Saturated Fat 10.6g 53%

Cholesterol 107.4mg 36%

Sodium 726.7mg 30%

Total Carbohydrates 50.3g 17%

Dietary Fiber 11.1g 44%

Sugars 5.5g

Protein 40.5g 81%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.