Traditional Mexican Pork Stew (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Red Chile Broth Base

01 - 4 cups of water, split into portions
02 - 6 dried guajillo peppers, cleaned and deseeded
03 - 4 dried ancho peppers, cleaned and deseeded
04 - 2 dried árbol peppers, cleaned (take out seeds for less heat)
05 - 1 tablespoon of chili powder
06 - 2 teaspoons of cumin, ground
07 - 1 ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
08 - 4 fresh garlic cloves
09 - 8 grams of Mexican chocolate, if desired (roughly ⅛ of a disc)

→ Main Stew Components

10 - 2 ½ pounds of pork shoulder, chopped into big 4-inch pieces
11 - 1 tablespoon of kosher salt
12 - 1 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly cracked
13 - 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
14 - 6 cups of your choice of broth (chicken, veggie, or beef works great)
15 - 3 cans of white hominy (15 ounces each), drained and washed
16 - 1 tablespoon of dried Mexican oregano

→ Toppings & Garnishes

17 - Cabbage, thinly sliced
18 - Fresh cilantro leaves
19 - White onion, finely chopped
20 - Fresh lime wedges
21 - Radishes, thinly sliced
22 - Extra Mexican oregano for sprinkling

# Instructions:

01 - Pour 3 cups of water into a medium-sized pot and toss in your guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles. Crank up the heat until it boils, then pop a lid on it, turn off the heat, and let those chiles soften up for about 15 minutes.
02 - Once your chiles are nice and soft, carefully move them along with the soaking water into your blender. Add the rest of the water, plus your chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic cloves, and that bit of Mexican chocolate if you're using it. Blend everything on high for 2-3 minutes until it's silky smooth and set it aside.
03 - Take your pork chunks and coat them generously with salt and freshly ground pepper on all sides. Heat up the oil in a big pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once it's hot, add your pork pieces and let them get a beautiful golden-brown crust on every side.
04 - Pour your gorgeous red chile sauce right into the pot with the meat. Grab a wooden spoon and scrape up all those tasty browned bits stuck to the bottom. Then stir in your broth, the drained hominy, and sprinkle in that dried oregano.
05 - Get the pot bubbling at a boil, then dial the heat way down to low. Cover it up and let it simmer gently for about 2 ½ hours. You'll know it's ready when the pork is so tender it practically falls apart when you look at it.
06 - Use a fork or tongs to shred that pork right in the pot - it should pull apart effortlessly. Give it a taste and add more salt if it needs it.
07 - Ladle the pozole into bowls and let everyone load up their bowl with their favorite toppings like shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime, crunchy radishes, diced onions, and a pinch of oregano.

# Notes:

01 - The Mexican chocolate is totally optional, but it brings a subtle richness that pairs beautifully with the chiles without adding sweetness.
02 - Feel free to swap pork for beef chuck roast - just treat it the same way by searing first and then letting it braise low and slow.
03 - Look for dried chiles in the Hispanic section of your supermarket, at a Mexican market, or order them online if they're hard to find locally.
04 - Control the heat level by leaving out the árbol chiles for a gentler version, or toss in a few extra if you like it fiery.
05 - If you prefer your pozole extra soupy, don't hesitate to add more broth at the end until you reach your perfect consistency.

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