Why this recipe works this hearty Mexican stew of hominy (degerminated corn kernels), pork, chiles, and vegetables dates all the way back to the Aztecs. Today, no Mexican family celebration would be complete without posole. It’s infinitely customizable, but rojo, or red, posole gets its color from tomatoes and chiles. Traditionally it includes bones from a pig’s head, neck, shank, and feet, supplemented with shoulder or loin meat. We simplified this to make at home by using a bone-in pork butt roast split into small chunks. We loved the rich, slightly sweet flavor of dried ancho chiles, which we soaked and pureed into a thick paste. We mixed most of the puree into the stew, saving a bit to add later for those who wanted extra heat. Pork butt roast is often labeled Boston butt in the supermarket. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil and then measure out the desired amount. Serve this as they do in modern-day Mexico, with lime wedges, diced avocado, shredded cabbage, and/or sliced radishes.
SERVES: 8 to 10
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 (5-pound) bone-in pork butt roast, trimmed and pulled apart at seams, bones reserved
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1½ ounces (3 or 4) ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 1½ cups boiling water
- 3 (15-ounce) cans white or yellow hominy, rinsed
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add pork and bones and cook, stirring often, until exterior of pork is no longer pink, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in broth, tomatoes and their juice, oregano, and ½ teaspoon salt and bring to simmer, skimming foam from surface as needed. Cover, place pot in oven, and cook until pork is tender, about 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, soak anchos in boiling water until softened, about 20 minutes. Process anchos and soaking liquid in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds. Drain in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl, pressing with rubber spatula to help pass ancho mixture through strainer. Measure out and reserve ¼ cup strained ancho mixture for serving.
- Remove pot from oven, transfer pork to cutting board, and let cool; discard bones. Meanwhile, stir hominy and ancho mixture into pot and bring to simmer over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently until flavors meld, about 30 minutes.
- Once pork is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-size pieces using 2 forks. Stir shredded pork into stew and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season with reserved ancho mixture, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve.
