Pozole Verde
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
45 mins
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Cook Time
3 hrs
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Total Time
3 hrs 45 mins
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Servings
8 people
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Calories
430 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Soup, Lunch
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Cuisine
Mexican
Pozole Verde
Description
Pozole Verde centers on slow-cooked pork cuts and hominy, which is corn processed through nixtamalization for improved texture and flavor. The meat is simmered until it easily separates from bones, then combined with a bright green sauce made from tomatillos and serrano chiles. The use of lard or oil adds richness, while herbs like oregano and optional leaves such as epazote build complexity.
The dish results in a stew with tender pork pieces and plump, soft hominy kernels in a broth that is fresh and tangy from the tomatillos, with gentle heat from the green chiles. The garnishes—lime-marinated red onion, diced avocado, and cilantro—provide crisp, zesty, and creamy contrasts, enhancing the overall texture and flavor profile.
Pozole Verde is traditionally served as a main course, often accompanied by lime wedges and optional toppings like radishes or shredded cabbage to add crunch. It suits leisurely meals and family gatherings due to its rich and satisfying nature.
The recipe notes advise patience in simmering for the best texture and flavor, suggest alternative meats like chicken or wild hog, and recommend fresh nixtamal for authentic taste. The stew improves with time and can be prepared ahead.
Ingredients
- 1 pig's head 3 pounds pork shoulder, hocks, jowls, or ribs
- 2 pounds nixtamal two 28-ounce cans of hominy
- 1 tablespoon oregano Mexican if possible, dried
- salt
- 20 tomatillos (not the little ones)
- 2 or 3 serrano chile chopped, or jalapenos
- 3 tablespoons lard or other cooking oil
- 1/2 cup Pepitas toasted in a frying pan until aromatic and then ground
- 10 sorrel optional, large leaves
- 1 epazote optional, small bunch
- 3 hoja santa leaf optional, leaves
- 1 onion minced, small; red variety
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 avocado diced
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- lime wedges
Instructions
- If you happen to be using a pig's head, submerge it in water in a very large pot and bring to a boil. Add the nixtamal, if using. Drop the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hour. Add the oregano, then keep cooking it until the meat wants to fall off the bone, about 2 1/2 hours. You will want to pull the head before it collapses, however, or things will get messy when you pick off all the meat.
- If you are using nixtamal but not a pig's head, cover the corn with about 1 1/2 gallons of water and cook for 1 hour. Then add all the pork bits you have decided to put in your pozole. Simmer until tender as above. Once tender, break up the meat into bits you'd like to eat in a soup.
- While this is happening, marinate the red onion in the 1/4 cup of lime juice. This removes any sulfur sting from the onion.
- Once the corn is tender, add salt, but not before. Adding salt too early makes the kernels tough. After the meat and corn is all ready, or close to it, make it a green pozole by doing the following:
Making it Green
- If you are using canned hominy, now is the time to stir it into the pot.
- Cover the tomatillos with just enough water to cover and boil. Drop the heat to a bare simmer and let this cook for 15 minutes. Move the tomatillos to a blender and add to the blender the ground pumpkin seeds, epazote, hoja santa and sorrel (or any of these you happen to be using) and the chopped chiles. Buzz into a smooth puree; you might need to add some of the broth from the pozole.
- Heat the lard in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot and add the blender mixture. Stirring constantly, cook this on medium-high for about 5 minutes, then scrape it all into the soup pot. Stir well, bring to a simmer and cook at least 10 more minutes, and up to 1 hour, but no more.
- To serve, ladle out some pozole and let everyone top it with the marinated onion, avocado, cilantro and lime.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken, pheasant, or rabbit following the same cooking steps used for pork shoulder.
- Nixtamalized corn significantly improves the flavor and texture; pre-made nixtamal is available for convenience.
- When using pork head cuts, keep larger chunks intact and chop uncertain pieces smaller; slow cooking is key for best results.
- The stew is not spicy by default; add hotter chiles or hot sauce if more heat is desired.
- Additional toppings like radishes, cabbage, or herbs such as pipicha or pitiona complement the dish well.
- Pozole can be cooked ahead and reheated, allowing flavors to develop further.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 430 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 430kcal | 22% |
| Carbohydrates | 26g | 9% |
| Protein | 32g | 64% |
| Fat | 22g | 34% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 97mg | 32% |
| Sodium | 501mg | 21% |
| Potassium | 918mg | 20% |
| Fiber | 7g | 28% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 291IU | 6% |
| Vitamin C | 20mg | 22% |
| Calcium | 57mg | 6% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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