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Bacon Red Pozole

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

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

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
For garnish (optional):
  • finely chopped cabbage (tossed with lime juice)
  • Freshly chopped cilantro
  • thin slices of jalapeno or serrano
  • lime
  • avocado
  • radish

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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

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

% 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%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.