Pork pozole verde is a deeply flavorful Mexican stew filled with hominy and poached pork in a warm green chile broth. This comforting stew is gluten free and freezer friendly.
I’ve been on a mission to make a delicious pozole since I fell in love with it at my favorite Mexican restaurant, Barrio Queen. Chicken is a popular choice for pozole, but pork more traditional and flavorful. With countless variations, there is one essential ingredient in every recipe:
- Hominy – corn that’s been soaked and enhanced with lime
- Canned hominy is chewy + pre-cooked
- Find them at any Hispanic grocery store.
Quite simply, pozole isn’t pozole without hominy.
How to Make the Best Pork Pozole Verde (Mexican stew)
To make this pozole, you will poach the pork with onions and garlic to create a broth. Then, add in tomatillos, serrano peppers, onions and cilantro to create a tangy, spicy soup base.
Tip: For a fresh and clean tasting pozole, make your own salsa (as opposed to store bought green salsa).
Recipe Steps:
- Cook the pork in water to create a rich broth
- Strain the pork and set aside
- Add tomatillos and peppers to your broth to make it spicy, tangy, and green
- Blend it using an immersion blender
- Add your pork back to the broth along with canned hominy
By cooking the pork shoulder cubes in water — you get fork tender pork and broth as your soup base. Homemade broth is so much better than boxed broth. There’s just no comparison in taste.
Garnishing and Serving Suggestions
To add some texture and freshness, add:
- thin slices of cabbage, radish, and cilantro
- extra serrano peppers
- a squeeze of fresh lime juice to brighten
Don’t forget to enjoy with some warm corn tortillas! Let me know in the comments what you think.
Pork Pozole Verde
Ingredients
Poached Pork and Stock Ingredients
- 4 pounds pork shoulder trim fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 8 cups water
- 1 medium white onion finely chopped
- 8 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Stew Ingredients
- 6 cups pork stock from previous step
- 1 pound tomatillos husks removed and washed
- 1 large white onion chopped
- 3 serrano peppers chopped
- 1 T dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large handful fresh cilantro stems and leaves
- 1 30-oz can white hominy drained and rinsed
- cooked pork from previous step
- corn tortillas, limes, radishes, cabbage, and cilantro for serving
Instructions
Poach the Pork and Make the Stock
- Put all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a simmer over high heat, skimming any foam from the surface as necessary. Lower the heat and continue to simmer for 1 1/2 hours, partially covered, until the pork is fork tender. Remove the pork from the pot and set aside. Use the stock to make the stew.
Make the Stew
- In a large pot or dutch oven, add the pork broth, tomatillos, onion, serrano, oregano, and salt. Cook over high heat to bring to boil then lower the heat to simmer. Cover partially and cook for 20 minutes until the tomatillos are very soft.
- Use a large spoon to transfer the solids to a large blender with about a cup of liquid. Add the cilantro and blend until smooth. Return the puree to the pot along with the hominy and cooked pork. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes uncovered. Taste and season with salt as needed.
- Garnish with sliced radish and cabbage with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro. Serve with warm tortillas and fresh lime wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
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Homonyummmmm – delicious rich broth – tender pork
So happy you liked it!
Very good! I had eaten hominy before, when I was a kid, but I never really knew what to do with it in the kitchen. I had only ever eaten it by itself a side dish, I guess. l also did not know what Pozole was, “Mexican Comfort Food”. The whole family over, a big pot on the stove and the fresh toppings are a must.
Isn’t hominy the greatest?