Pozole rojo (red)

Ingredients: Serves 4 to 5 - use 4 qt pot (can easily be doubled - use 8 quart pot)

• 2 lb pork shoulder, boned, cut into chunks

• 4 cups chicken broth (1 quart)

• 1 28 oz can red chile, mild or medium if you want more spice. Note: I use Las Palmas, but I will be posting a recipe for homemade red Chile.

• 2 cans (25 oz/1 lb) prepared white hominy, drained

• 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped

• 1/2 head garlic, peeled

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tbl lard (Grape-seed or Olive Oil works just fine)

• 2 tsp oregano

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• Kosher salt

For Garnish:

Use items you have on hand, omitting anything you don’t like.

• Dried oregano

• Sliced limes

• Sliced Napa cabbage - (During Corona Virus, I could only find red cabbage - it worked great)

• Cilantro

• Diced onion

• Sliced radishes

• Queso Fresco (Mexican style crumbling cheese, Feta is a good substitute)

• Fried corn tortillas, or tortilla chips

To Prepare:

• Heat fat/oil in heavy 4 quart pot.

• Generously salt pork shoulder and brown on all sides in oil.

• Slip garlic cloves from the peel, add to the pot. Add chopped onion and cook until soft.

• Add the chicken broth, bay leaf, cumin and oregano.

• Let the soup simmer until the meat is almost tender, about 90 minutes.

• Add the red chile, stir and gently simmer. As the soup cooks it will thicken.

• After about 1 hour of low simmering drain the prepared white hominy and add to the soup. Taste for seasoning after the hominy has simmered for 20 minutes.

• You may add water to thin the soup if it gets too thick. Cook until the meat is tender enough to pull apart with a fork, about another 60 minutes.

• Serve in rimmed soup bowls and let guests add their own garnishes.

• If you have leftovers and the soup is thick, add more broth or water to thin it when you reheat it.