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Ancho Chile Pozole

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  • Prep 60 min
  • Total 4 hr 0 min
  • Ingredients 22
  • Servings 20
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This year, I’m having a huge Christmas party at house partially because my abuelita from Mexico is coming to visit us and I haven't seen her in a while. It goes without saying that the menu is very important and I’m quite a people-pleaser when it comes to food, so much so that I've been racking my brain about the menu. I’ve got the tamales and the ponche all made. I have all the side dishes and desserts figured out and ready to be made. And one dish I know definitely has to be on the table is my ancho chile pozole. Plus, pozole is my grandmother’s favorite; so there is extra pressure for it to be extraordinary. To the traditional pozole recipe I add ancho chile, giving it a thicker consistency and a stronger chili pepper taste. Try your hand at this pozole recipe! I hope your abuelita or friends and family enjoy this classic soup.
Nicole Presley
Updated May 11, 2023
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 gallons water
  • 1 oz cascabel dried chili pepper
  • 1 oz guajillo dried chili pepper
  • 4 ozs ancho dried chili pepper
  • 2 ozs New Mexico dried chili pepper
  • 5 lbs pork shoulder (or chicken), diced into 2-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, plus 2 tablespoons
  • 7 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 whole onion (peeled)
  • 6 pounds Mexican Style hominy, drained

To garnish:

  • Sliced cabbage
  • Lime or lemon
  • Sliced radish
  • Dried chile
  • Fresh salsa
  • Chopped onion
  • Cilantro
  • Tostadas

Directions

  •  
    1
    In a pot filled halfway with water over a medium flame, add dried chiles and bring to a boil. Boil for 30 to 45 minutes. Then turn off the flame and allow chiles to soak for 30 minutes in hot water.
  •  
    2
    In a blender, add chiles (stems removed), 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 cups of water. Blend till smooth. This may have to be done in two batches. Set aside.
  •  
    3
    In a large pot (9 quarts) over a medium high flame add vegetable oil and allow to get hot. Then braise the pork pieces. Season pork with salt, cumin, and oregano. If using chicken, skip this step.
  •  
    4
    Once pork is browned, add in bay leaves, 18 cups of water, and an entire onion. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower flame to a simmer and cover with lid; cook for 1 hour. If using chicken, you would add the uncooked chicken to the pot at this point.
  •  
    5
    After an hour add in hominy, salt, and sift chile through strainer to catch all the seeds and little pieces of dried skin, then pour into pot. Mix well, and continue cooking for another 2 hours, for a total cooking time of 3 hours. If cooking chicken, the pozole would be ready once the hominy warmed in the soup for a total of 1 hour and 20 minutes.
  •  
    6
    Serve hot and garnish.

Expert Tips

  • tip 1
    This soup can be made the day before and will taste just as good, if not better!

Nutrition Information

No nutrition information available for this recipe

More About This Recipe

  • This year, I’m having a huge Christmas party at house partially because my abuelita from Mexico is coming to visit us and I haven't seen her in a while. It goes without saying that the menu is very important and I’m quite a people-pleaser when it comes to food, so much so that I've been racking my brain about the menu. I’ve got the tamales and the ponche all made. I have all the side dishes and desserts figured out and ready to be made. And one dish I know definitely has to be on the table is my ancho chile pozole. Plus, pozole is my grandmother’s favorite; so there is extra pressure for it to be extraordinary. To the traditional pozole recipe I add ancho chile, giving it a thicker consistency and a stronger chili pepper taste. Try your hand at this pozole recipe! I hope your abuelita or friends and family enjoy this classic soup.
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