Pozole Rojo

Ingredients

• 2 lbpork shoulder, cubed$4.55
• 3 cancanned hominy, drained$5.66
• 6 eachdried guajillo chiles$3.40
• 1 eachyellow onion, quartered$0.53
• 4 eachgarlic cloves$0.09
• 6 cupchicken broth$1.70
• 1 tbspdried oregano$0.21
• 4 eachradishes, sliced$1.42
• 2 cupshredded cabbage$0.42
• 1.5 tspkosher salt$0.02
• Total for 4 servings$18.00

Most of the cost is canned hominy, drained ($5.66) and pork shoulder, cubed ($4.55). With oil, spices and staples already at home, the shop drops to about $16.28. Prices are estimated for the amount used, at average US grocery prices (November 2026).

Steps

1. Stem and seed the dried guajillo chiles. Place them in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 15 minutes until softened, then drain. Transfer the softened chiles to a blender with 1 cup of the chicken broth and blend until completely smooth.
2. In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, combine the pork shoulder, yellow onion, garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt, and the remaining 5 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil, skim any foam that rises to the surface, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 75 to 80 minutes until the pork is fork-tender.
3. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove and discard the onion pieces and garlic cloves from the pot. Pour the pureed chile sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into the broth, pressing with the back of a ladle to extract all liquid, then stir in the canned hominy and dried oregano.
4. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the hominy is tender and flavorful and the broth has deepened to a rich red color.
5. Taste the broth and stir in the remaining half teaspoon of kosher salt, adjusting to taste; gently pull apart any oversized pork chunks with two forks into bite-sized pieces.
6. Ladle the hot pozole into wide bowls, distributing the pork and hominy evenly, and serve immediately topped with the shredded cabbage and sliced radishes.