Posole Recipe

4.54 from 15 votes

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Posole (or pozole) is a Mexican pork stew that is perfect for the slow cooker during the week.

Or as we show you here, ideal for a lazy Sunday dinner when it can slowly simmer for hours on a stove top.

With either method, you can expect crowds of hungry people (and pets) wandering into the kitchen, from it’s rich and alluring aroma.

3 individual servings of posole garnished with cilantro, radish lime and sour cream
This posole recipe is super easy to make and tastes even better the next day.

What is this?

If you have to ask, “What is posole?” (as I did), it is basically a cross between a soup and a stew. Although there are many variations among this iconic Mexican recipe, it always consists of three main ingredients:

  • Pork (typically shoulder)
  • Hominy
  • Garlic
Large Posole bowl and 2 individual bowls with whole corn tortilla in back
Posole is often garnished with shredded cabbage and radishes.

What is hominy?

We all know what pork and garlic are but what about the third essential ingredient for pozole? Hominy is made by alkalizing dried corn kernels and it is an essential ingredient to many foods such as corn tortillas. The process causes the germ and hull to be removed and the grain of each kernel swells to about twice it’s normal size. 

Anatomy of a corn kernel.

If you’re from the south or have ever ventured on the lower side of the Mason-Dixon line then you surely have heard of hominy grits, an iconic food that is part of our southern culture here in the U.S.

If you thought grits were just for breakfast, think again! Our grilled grits make for an awesome side dish.

How to make it

All pozole recipes start with pork. Once again, there are many variations of posole and I like to sear my chunks of pork shoulder prior to the long cooking process.

I like the texture and the color of seared meat, but if you want to skip this part it is completely optional.

To safely attain a higher searing temperature, combine olive oil (which has a higher smoke point) with butter.

When searing meat in butter or oil, you want the highest temperature possible.

Often times butter gives the meat a sweet buttery finish during the searing process but because butter has a low smoke point, you are limited with how high you can heat it before harmful chemical changes begin to occur.

To help get around this issue, combine some oil (higher smoke point) with the butter.

You can read more about What’s a Smoke Point and Why it Matters in this link.

When making this posole recipe, add some garlic and salt to the pot and then fill it with water.

Toss in a bay leaf and let the magic happen.

For this pozole recipe, water is added to the meat, along with salt, garlic, and a bay leaf.

After a few hours at a low simmer, you can shred the pork to your desired consistency.

Stir in some chili sauce and seasoning, add the hominy and allow it to cook for another half hour or so.

Sour cream and lime wedges add a nice flavor to this pozole recipe.

I first heard of this authentic posole recipe from my friend Deb over at Bowl Me Over.

The best part, she got the recipe from another great food site, The Foodie Affair where this posole is credited to that creator’s Nana. How much better does it get than that?

Back to Deb and her food site, it’s one of my favorite food blogs, due entirely to the lady behind it.

She is one energetic, giving and big-hearted lady coming out of Fresno, California. Although she’s a long way from this Wisconsin boy, Deb is an avid Green Bay Packer fan and of course, that’s all it takes to hold a special place in my heart.

But there’s so much more to love about Deb,  not the least of which is her finesse in the kitchen.

These are just a few recipes from Bowl Me Over that are among my favorites.

Dan from Platter Talk standing in the kitchen.

dan

This posole recipe is easy to make and tastes great the next day.

If you love stew, take a look at our Hungarian Goulash Recipe!

If you’ve tried this Posole or any other recipe on Platter Talk, please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, we love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW US on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see what we have cooking!

Posole Recipe

4.54 from 15 votes
This authentic Mexican pozole recipe is easy to make and perfect for families eating on a budget. As a bonus, it tastes just as good or even better the next day!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 12

Ingredients 

  • 4 pounds pork, pork shoulder, cut into bite-size chunks
  • water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 28 oz chili sauce, red
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 48 oz hominy, drained

Instructions 

  • Place chunks of meat to a large Dutch oven, sear as I did if desired. Add enough water to cover the meat plus another inch or so.  Add bay leaf, garlic, and salt and bring to a boil and reduce heat to low simmer. Continue to cook on low for at least 4 hours.
  • Once the meat is tender and shreds easily, shred the pork to your desired consistency and add remaining ingredients. Continue to simmer for another 30 to 60 minutes.
  • Serve with sour cream and avocado if desired.

Video

Notes

Trim any fat from pork prior to using. At the end of the simmering process, use a slotted spoon to skim any excess fat from top of the broth.
I cooked this pozole recipe in a covered Dutch oven. If you don not use a cover, be sure to replace water as necessary, in case of evaporation.
Add more salt, to taste.
Suggested garnishes include:
Sour cream, avocado, sliced radishes, shredded cabbage, cilantro.
If you've ever asked, "How to shred cabbage?" This link from Healing Tomato does a great job of showing you!

Nutrition

Calories: 353kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 90mg, Sodium: 1967mg, Potassium: 786mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 645IU, Vitamin C: 10.8mg, Calcium: 51mg, Iron: 3.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Tried this recipe?Mention @plattertalk or tag #plattertalk!

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Meet the Platter Talk Guys

Dan & Scott split their time between Wisconsin and Southwest Florida and are dads to six boys. Good food runs through their veins, and they love showing others how to cook easy recipes.

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22 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I love Posole and especially with radishes on it! I never used to eat them but now I love them on tacos too!