Bacon Red Pozole

Name: Bacon Red Pozole
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 3 serving
Ingredients: 2-3 ancho dried chiles; 2-3 Guajillo dried chiles (or New Mexican); 6 slices bacon (a bit under 1/2 lb.); 1/2 small onion; 3 cloves garlic; 5 cups stock; 1 can hominy (30 oz. size); 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano; 1/4 teaspoon cumin; pinch of ground clove (optional); pinch of cinnamon (optional); 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste); freshly cracked black pepper; finely chopped cabbage (tossed with lime juice); Freshly chopped cilantro; thin slices of jalapeno or serrano; lime; avocado; radish

User Reviews

5.0

6 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Servings
3
Calories
194 kcal
Course
Main Course, Soup

Bacon Red Pozole

Ximena Brandt

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Yowsa what a treat to top Red Pozole with some freshly cooked crispy bacon. I hope you try this one out!

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Ingredients

Servings

2-3 ancho dried chiles
2-3 Guajillo dried chiles (or New Mexican)
6 slices bacon (a bit under 1/2 lb.)
1/2 small onion
3 cloves garlic
5 cups stock
1 can hominy (30 oz. size)
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon cumin
pinch of ground clove (optional)
pinch of cinnamon (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
freshly cracked black pepper

For garnish (optional):

finely chopped cabbage (tossed with lime juice)
Freshly chopped cilantro
thin slices of jalapeno or serrano
lime
avocado
radish

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Instructions

Start by wiping off the dried chiles, then de-stemming and de-seeding them. Give the chile pieces a quick roast in the oven (400F) for 2 minutes. Add the roasted chile pieces to a bowl, cover them with hot tap water, and let them reconstitute for 20-30 minutes or until you need them.
Finely chop 6 slices of bacon. Add the bacon to a medium-sized saucepan or soup pot and cook over medium heat (or slightly higher). Stir regularly until the bacon is brown and crispy. Use tongs to remove the cooked bacon, but you can leave the bacon drippings in the pan. Note: you can discard some of the bacon drippings if you want but I typically use most of it.
Finely chop 1/2 onion and cook it in the bacon drippings over medium heat. Cook until the onion has softened and then add 3 minced garlic cloves. Briefly cook the garlic. Scoop about half of this onion-garlic mixture into a blender where it will become part of the chile puree, and leave the other half in the pan.
Note: before draining the dried chiles be sure to take a taste of their soaking liquid. If you like the flavor you are welcome to use some of it in place of the stock. It tastes bitter to my palate so I typically discard it.
Add 4 cups of stock (or the chiles' soaking liquid) to the pot along with a single can of drained and rinsed hominy. Note: I usually add the stock first before fiddling with the other ingredients to prevent the garlic from burning.
Drain the chiles and add them to the blender. Half of the onion-garlic mixture should already be in the blender. Add a single cup of stock and combine well -- if it's not combining readily just add another splash of liquid. Add the chile puree to your main pot. You can optionally strain the chile puree to remove any seeds or bits of skin, but lately I skip this step.
Add the remaining spices: 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, a pinch of ground clove (optional), a pinch of ground cinnamon (optional), some freshly cracked black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir well and bring to a boil. Lower heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
When the Pozole is getting towards the end of the 10-15 minute simmer I usually add in about half of the cooked bacon and reserve the other half for garnish.
And now take a final taste for seasoning! I added another generous pinch of salt to this batch, but keep in mind that the salt level will depend on which stock you're using. I also added another pinch of Mexican oregano and another pinch of ground clove.
Serve immediately but don't forget to garnish! I topped with thinly sliced cabbage that was tossed with lime juice and salt, freshly chopped cilantro, and of course...the cooked bacon bits! A final burst of acidity really makes this Pozole come alive, so if you're not topping with limey cabbage then consider a few drops of hot sauce, or pickled goodies, or even just a squeeze of lime.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge where it will keep for a few days. To reheat I just plop it in a saucepan and bring it up to temp over medium heat -- if it seems thick I will add a splash of stock to thin it out.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 194kcal (10%) Carbohydrates 27g (9%) Protein 9g (18%) Fat 7g (11%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 3g Trans Fat 0.02g Cholesterol 16mg (5%) Sodium 2249mg (94%) Potassium 618mg (18%) Fiber 8g (32%) Sugar 15g (30%) Vitamin A 7664IU (153%) Vitamin C 10mg (11%) Calcium 46mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 3Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 194 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	194kcal	10%
Carbohydrates	27g	9%
Protein	9g	18%
Fat	7g	11%
Saturated Fat	2g	10%
Polyunsaturated Fat	2g	12%
Monounsaturated Fat	3g	15%
Trans Fat	0.02g	1%
Cholesterol	16mg	5%
Sodium	2249mg	94%
Potassium	618mg	13%
Fiber	8g	32%
Sugar	15g	30%
Vitamin A	7664IU	153%
Vitamin C	10mg	11%
Calcium	46mg	5%
Iron	2mg	11%