Pozole

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 45 mins

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 4 Servings

ozole (pronounced poh-SO-lay) is a Mexican soup made with hominy and most often pork — the two are traditionally simmered together until the hominy kernels burst open and the broth takes on that rich, cooked-all-day taste. Some cooks add chiles to the broth, turning the pozole red or green and spicy (like in this pozole rojo recipe), but the easiest (and mildest) pozole to make — especially if you’ve never made it before — is white pozole, which doesn’t have any chiles in the broth at all.

The recipe I’m sharing here is for my family’s favorite white pozole, which is easy enough to make on a weeknight. Here’s how I do it.

Ingredients

1 pound boneless pork shoulder
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups water
1/4 small white onion
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
1 (29-ounce) can hominy, drained
2 cups shredded cabbage or iceberg lettuce
1 medium lime
A few radishes
1 (12-ounce) package tostadas, or 6 to 8 corn tortillas crisped in a 400ºF oven for 15 minutes
Mexican crema
Dried Mexican oregano
Chile powder, such as árbol chile

Instructions

Cut and season the pork. Cut 1 pound pork shoulder into 2-inch chunks. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
Sear the pork. Heat an electric pressure cooker or Instant Pot on the Sauté setting. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and let it warm up for a minute. Add the pork and arrange in a single layer. Let sear undisturbed until golden-brown on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip the pork and cook until the second side is golden-brown, 3 to 5 minutes more.
Add the liquids and seasonings. Add 3 cups chicken broth, 3 cups water, 1/4 small white onion, 1 garlic clove, and 1 bay leaf.
Cook for 20 minutes under HIGH pressure. Lock the lid on and make sure the pressure valve is set to seal. Set to cook for 20 minutes under HIGH pressure. It will take about 10 minutes to come up to pressure. Meanwhile, drain the can of hominy.
Quick release the pressure. When the cook time is up, quick release the pressure. Carefully open the pressure cooker.
Strain the broth. Transfer the meat to a large bowl with a slotted spoon or tongs (if you accidentally scoop up any pieces of onion, pick them out and throw them away). Fit a fine-mesh strainer over the bowl of meat, then pour the broth through it. Discard the contents of the strainer.
Add the hominy and cook for 10 minutes more under HIGH pressure. Pour the broth and meat back into the pressure cooker. Stir in the hominy. Lock the lid on and make sure the pressure valve is set to seal. Set to cook for 10 minutes under HIGH pressure. It will take about 8 minutes to come up to pressure. Meanwhile, prepare the toppings.
Prepare the toppings. Prepare the following toppings, placing them all in separate bowls: Cut cabbage or lettuce into fine shreds until you have about 2 cups, cut 1 lime into wedges, and thinly slice a few radishes. Set out a package of tostadas, Mexican crema for slathering on the tostadas, a few tablespoons dried Mexican oregano, and 1 tablespoon chile powder.
Serve the pozole. When the cook time is up, quick release the pressure. Taste and season the pozole with salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot bowls of pozole and pass the toppings at the table.