Pozole with mushrooms or pork (Hominy stew)

Hominy with mushrooms is one of the many variations of this traditional Mexican stew that will satisfy carnivores and vegans alike.

No plate is similar as the fun comes when each diner customizes the stew with a wide array of garnishes. Enjoy it with tostadas with Mexican cream on top as a side.

Learn more about what is hominy:

Hominy – definition, Wikipedia;

What the hell is hominy anyway?, Hoffington Post

Where to find hominy? Most supermarkets in North America with a Latin products aisle carry hominy, white or yellow. Most of the time you can find it pre-cooked and canned but sometimes you can also find it in Latin product shops un-cooked. For this recipe, we will use the canned version.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs pork shoulder or pork hocks, cut into chunks
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 pound of mushrooms cleaned and cut into slices.
• 1 can (29 oz) of hominy, drained and rinsed
• 8 cups of water (meat version) or chicken/vegetable broth (veggie version)
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground thyme
• 1 teaspoon of marjoram
• Salt/Pepper, to taste

Garnishes:

• Fully cooked and shredded pork shoulder
• Shredded lettuce
• Chopped onion
• Lemon juice
• Hot sauce or chili flakes
• Oregano flakes
• Thinly sliced radishes

Preparation:

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat some oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork chunks and cook until browned on all sides.
2. Remove the browned pork from the pot and set it aside. In the same pot, add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent.
3. Add the pork back into the pot with the onions and garlic. Add water making sure the meat is fully submerged. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 1 to 1.5 hours, or until the pork is tender and can easily be shredded with a fork.
4. Once the pork is tender, remove it from the pot and shred it using two forks.
5. *Instant pot version: In Saute mode add some pork lard and brown pieces of meat. Remove the meat and reserve, add chopped onion and garlic, and cook until it becomes translucent. Add back the meat and cover with water until the meat is fully covered. Cook for 1 hour on pressure cook mode.
6. Add the drained hominy to a large pot, and strain the broth resulting from cooking the meat. Stir in the dried oregano, ground thyme, marjoram, and salt/pepper to taste. Simmer the pozole for another 20-30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
7. Shred the cooked pork meat or cut it into small cubes if you used a different cut that couldn’t be shredded.

MUSHROOM (VEGETARIAN VERSION)

1. In a large pot, add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent. Add the sliced mushrooms, and cook them until they become tender.
2. Add the drained hominy and 8 cups of chicken broth.
3. Stir in the dried oregano, ground thyme, marjoram, and salt/pepper to taste.
4. Simmer the pozole for another 20-30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.

Serving recommendations:

1. Serve the pozole hot in bowls, garnished with any desired toppings such as sliced radishes, shredded lettuce, diced onion, lime wedges, and crushed red pepper flakes or dried chili sauce.

Dried chili sauce:

1. 3-4 dried chipotle peppers
2. 1 dried ancho pepper
3. 1 dried Morita pepper
4. 1 medium onion
5. 4 garlic cloves

Preparation

1. Remove the seeds of chilis if you want the sauce to be mild spicy.
2. In a hot pan add some vegetable oil and toast the chilis until they are slightly browned (avoid burning them since this will give them a bitter taste).
3. Add 1 cup of water to the pan and allow the chilis to tenderize, once all skins are soft transfer them to a blender.
4. Cut the onion into small chunks and toast it in a hot pan with the garlic, (add the garlic once the onion starts to brown since they burn a lot faster).
5. Add onion and garlic to the blender with the chilis. Blend until you have a smooth sauce.
6. Warm a small pot with some oil, once the oil is hot pour the sauce on it, and season with salt and pepper. (you can add some chicken broth powder for additional flavor).

Enjoy your delicious Pozole Blanco!