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Hominy on the Range: Pork Pozole

We simmer cubes of pork with onion and garlic, then finish the soup with white hominy and a blended salsa verde mixture. We serve the cilantro, radishes, and avocado in separate little bowls so each of us can add the garnishes we like.
Print Recipe

Times are approximate and may vary depending on your equipment, ingredient sizes, and cooking pace.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 2
Estimated calories per serving: 600

Equipment

  • Large deep pan with lid (for cooking the pork and soup)
  • Small pot (for preparing the broth)
  • Sauté pan
  • Vitamix blender (or any blender)
  • Digital kitchen scale (grams and ounces)
  • Instant-read meat thermometer

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz (340 g) boneless pork shoulder (weighed after trimming visible fat)
  • 4 oz (113 g) white onion (divided)
  • 3 large garlic cloves (divided)
  • 15 ½ oz (439 g) white hominy (approximately one 15.5-ounce can)
  • 1 jalapeño
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • ¾ cup Herdez Salsa Verde
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Spike Original All-Purpose Seasoning (or herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning)
  • salt (to taste)
  • black pepper (to taste)
  • 1 cup water

Broth

  • 1 vegetable bouillon cube (or 1 ½ cups vegetable broth)
  • 1 ½ cups water

Garnish

  • 1 cup fresh cilantro (chopped, loosely packed leaves, no stems)
  • 2 radishes
  • 3 ½ oz (100 g) avocado (weighed flesh only)

Steps
 

Preparation

           Broth

    • If using the vegetable bouillon cube, combine 1 ½ cups water and the cube in a small pot. Heat until the cube dissolves, then set aside. If using prepared vegetable broth instead, simply measure 1 ½ cups broth and set aside. Do not add water or the bouillon cube.

           Pork and Vegetables

    • Trim the visible fat from the pork shoulder, weigh 340 grams, and cut into cubes about ½ inch across.
    • Roughly chop the white onion. Smash the 3 garlic cloves, keeping 1 clove separate from the other 2.
    • Remove the stem from the jalapeño and dice it, keeping the seeds.

    Cook the Pork

    • In the large pan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add the pork cubes, half the chopped white onion, and 1 garlic clove.
    • Set the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for about 60 minutes, until the pork is cooked through and tender. Check that the pork reaches an internal temperature of at least 145°F.

    Salsa Verde Mixture

    • While the pork is simmering, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in the separate sauté pan over medium heat.
    • Add the remaining white onion and 2 garlic cloves. Sauté until golden brown.
    • Transfer the sautéed onion and garlic to the Vitamix. Add the ground cumin, Spike Original All-Purpose Seasoning, Herdez Salsa Verde, and jalapeño. Blend until smooth.
    • Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.

    Cook the Pozole

    • After about 60 minutes, remove the pork cubes from the pan. Discard all the remaining cooking liquid, onion, and garlic.
    • Return the pork cubes to the same pan.
    • Rinse the white hominy. Add it to the pan along with the prepared vegetable broth and the blended salsa verde mixture.
    • Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat for a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

    Garnish

    • While the pozole is simmering, slice the radishes and place them in a small bowl.
    • Chop the fresh cilantro leaves and place them in another small bowl.
    • Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and skin, and weigh 100 grams of flesh. Slice the avocado and divide it equally between 2 small bowls.

    Serve

    • Taste the pozole and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper, if needed.
    • Ladle the pozole into 2 soup bowls and serve with the garnishes on the side.

    Notes

    Calorie Estimate

    We estimate calories by adding the contribution of each ingredient using nutritional information from USDA FoodData Central, supplemented by manufacturer nutrition labels and other documented sources when needed.
    Ingredient Calories
    Boneless pork shoulder 503
    White hominy 316
    Avocado 160
    Olive oil 80
    Herdez Salsa Verde 60
    Vegetable bouillon cube 30
    White onion 23
    Large garlic cloves 13
    Ground cumin 8
    Jalapeño 4
    Fresh cilantro 4
    Radishes 1
    Spike Original All-Purpose Seasoning 0
    Water 0
    Salt 0
    Black pepper 0
    Entire recipe: 1,202 calories
    Per serving (2 servings): 601 calories