New Mexico Pork Posole Recipe

What is Posole ( Pozole )?

Pozole or Posole, which meals “hominy” is a traditional soup or stew from Mexican Cuisine. Hominy, is the backbone of this Mexican soup (pronounced puh-soh-lay). Posole, a savory, hearty, rather soupy stew that is traditionally made with pork and green chiles.

About This Recipe and Why It Works

My first bowl of New Mexico pork pozole dates back to the 1970’s, when upon a visit to Taos, New Mexico, a waiter urged me to try this hearty stew, clueing me in that it was their specialty. I’ve been hooked ever since.

Hearty with hominy and chunks of tender pork, this New Mexico Pozole Recipe, pork pozole verde (as it appeared on the menu) is earthy rich and satisfying comfort food with a flavor that’s pure Southwestern bliss.

The ingredients are kept simple with flavor, allowing the pork to soak up flavor from the green chile peppers and traditional Southwestern seasonings.

Personalize your posole by adding fresh garnishes at the table which adds lively flavors and color.

For all of my posoles, I use frozen or dry posole. But if you don’t have access to these, you can most certainly use canned hominy. The flavor is different, the cook time is shorter, but you’ll still end up with a bowl of New Mexico flavors.

And speaking of New Mexico flavors … what makes this a New Mexico Posole Recipe? We’re using roasted Hatch green chile peppers, and New Mexico Red Chile Powder.

Let’s take a look at this pork posole recipe.

• Sweet Onion
• Posole: Use either dried posole (nixtamalimized corn) , or frozen posole.
• Spices: Bay leaves, Mexican oregano, New Mexico Red Chile Powder, cumin and ground cloves.
• Garlic: Roast a head of garlic ahead of time. The caramelized flavor adds a complex layer of flavor to the posole.
• Green Chile Peppers, roasted, tops and seed pods removed, and charred skin removed with your hands. (don’t rinse those roasted peppers, you’re washing some of that smoky flavor down the drain)
• Pork Roast, cut into cubes. Use a pork loin roast rather than a pork shoulder. It’s less fatty and easier to handle.
• Dried Chile Pods: Are readily available on the Mexican aisle of your local grocer. If you can find New Mexico chile pods, all the better.
• Chicken Broth

Ingredient Notes and Swaps

• Posole: Frozen posole is preferred because it doesn’t have to be soaked ahead of time. Simply thaw and add it to the posole. You can use dried posole, found on the Mexican food aisle at the grocery store, but plan ahead to soak the dried posole overnight.
• Hominy: Can I use canned hominy for posole? Yes, Purchase one 25 ounce can of hominy, drained, for this recipe. Do I drain hominy for pozole? Yes. Drain and rinse please.
• Chile Peppers: If you don’t have fresh chile peppers, use 2 4-ounce cans of roasted chopped Hatch Chile peppers found on the Mexican food aisle of your local market. Or roast 3 – 4 large poblano peppers, remove skins and seed pods and chop.
• Roasted Garlic: If you don’t want to take time to roast a head of garlic, simply dice fresh garlic.
• New Mexico Chile Powder: Chimayo chile powder is my preference, or any kind of New Mexico red chile powder. Ancho chile powder is a good choice here. You can also use Red Chile Sauce.
• Pork Roast: If you use a bone in or boneless pork shoulder roast, you’ll need to trim as much excess fat as possible when cutting the roast into chunks. To make things easier, you can purchase a pork loin roast, which has less fat.
• Dried Chile Pods: Dried Guajillo, a dried mirasol pepper, is readily found and very commonly used in Mexican recipes. Dried ancho chile peppers are a good substitute here. Have fun and experiment with dried pasilla, cascabel, or New Mexico dried chile peppers.
• Broth: If you don’t have broth on hand, use water. The seasonings and the pork will add beautiful flavor to the water.
• Ham Hock: When I have one, I have also added a ham hock to the recipe. It adds a bit of smoky flavor. Once the posole is done, remove, shred the meat from the bone and add back into the posole.

How To Eat and Serve New Mexico Posole

Just grab your favorite soup bowls and add a big scoop of posole. Offer a variety of toppings to pass at the table. You can also include warmed flour or corn tortillas.

Pork Posole Toppings

• Shredded, thin sliced cabbage
• Raw chopped sweet onion
• Sliced radishes
• Chopped avocado
• Salsa
• Fresh chopped tomatoes
• Chopped cilantro
• Lime wedges for squeezing

Tips for Success

• Season the pork well, and on all sides, with salt and freshly ground pepper before searing. Salt draws out moisture and will aid in the browning process, as well as seasoning.
• Don’t crowd the pork when searing. If the piece of meat are too close together, they’ll create moisture which will result in a steaming effect rather than browning.
• Don’t skimp on toppings. The crunch of fresh vegetables is what makes this pork posole a special treat.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

• Make Ahead: You can make this posole recipe up to five days in advance. Keep it in the refrigerator and then reheat stovetop. Its best to wait until the day of serving to prepare the fresh toppings.
• Freezing: Once posole has cooled, place in air-tight freezer friendly containers. I like to use freezer zip-lock style bags. While they’re standing up, you can squeeze the air of them and lay them flat in the freezer to optimize freezer space. Thaw in refrigerator overnight and reheat stove-top.

I wouldn’t think of celebrating the Fall season without a steamy bowl of this New Mexico posole recipe. And did you know posole is often served Christmas Eve in Mexico? Served with tamales and a Southwestern Salad, it’s a festive meal.

No matter how you serve this posole recipe, naked or with toppings, you’re going to love every bite.

And if you’re soup lovers like us, don’t miss my Soup Category. You’ll find lots of great recipes, including the most popular on my site for New Mexico Hatch Green Chili.

And if you’re looking to learn more about Colorado and New Mexico Chile Peppers and how to use them, don’t miss my article on Chile vs Chili … Know The Difference.