What to Eat in Mexico – Pozole, Not Just for Independence Day!

But Inspired by Independence Day's Dinner

Seizing the occasion, here is a recipe for making one of the most important Mexican dishes. It's name pozole is also the word for hominy, or maize soaked in alkaline water (usually lime-rock or lye from wood ash), which is the basis for tortillas, tamales, and the majority of Mexican foods. For this reason it's important to be aware that this soup has a much higher standing than any other soup, and for Mexicans it doesn't even fall into the category of sopa (that is noodle soup, or simply noodles), but is a class of its own: pozole. 

The Importance of Pozole

The cultural significance of pozole goes back to pre-hispanic days, when it was used for ritual purposes. Because it is so highly regarded, people usually eat it on special occasions, such as Mexican Independence (Sept. 15-16), but it's not uncommon to have it on Christmas, birthdays, or for any bigger gathering of friends or family. As such, it is usually made in large quantities, which can be seen in this recipe as well. 

Of course there are many regional differences in making them. The three main types are white, red, and green, with a number of variations for each type. The color normally depends on the ingredients used, red or green peppers and/or tomatoes, or the lack thereof, just like with red and green salsas. The recipe my wife's aunt gave me is a type of red pozole from Jalisco. 

Ingredients: 

• 4 kg pre-cooked hominy 
• 3 kg pork 
• ½ head of a pig (important for the taste) 
• ½ kg guajillo chilis 
• 2 onions 
• 2 heads of garlic 
• 2 handfulls of salt 

 Additionally for condiments: 

• lettuce 
• radishes 
• oregano 
• onion 
• limes 
• tostadas 
• sour cream 
• crumbly white cheese 

How to Make it: 

Pozole has a long and complicated process of preparation, even before the actual cooking starts. This includes the nixtamalization, that is soaking the corn in lime water. Most people, however, don't like to start with Adam and Eve, including my wife's aunt. After all, pre-cooked hominy is widely available here. Also, the pig's head and the meat for pozole is readily sold at the butchers. With these ingredients the dish can be prepared within about 3-4 hours only!

• Wash the hominy again and again, to get all the lime off of it, until the water runs clear. Then it can be added to a big (very big) pot, with enough water to cover it by a finger's width above.   
• Add the onions whole. 
• Remove the dry skin of a garlic and add them whole. No need to chop them. 
• Let it all cook for a couple of hours on medium heat. 
• Add the meat and the head. 
• Add two handfulls of salt. 
• Let it cook for another hour or so. 
• Remove the inside of the chili peppers (leaving them in would make the whole dish SUPER hot), and grind them down in a mortar. Alternatively, you can also use the blender, no shame in that! 
• Remove the onion and the garlic from the pot and add them to the blender. This is essentially salsa we're making. 
• Remove the meat and the head from the pot when they are nice and tender. 
• Pull the pork into small strips. Then you can put them back into the pot, or serve it on the side. That way each person can add as much of the meat and/or the head as they like. 
• Add the salsa to the pot. Let it simmer for another while, check the taste, and refine. 

Serving Pozole: 

Typically, pozole is served right from the big pot it was cooked in. On a plate next to it is the pulled pork and the head cut into small pieces, so each individual can serve themselves according to their preference.

On the table the condiments are lined up: 

• chopped lettuce 
• chopped radishes 
• chopped fresh onion 
• dry oregano 
• limes cut in wedges 
• tostadas 
• sour cream 
• crumbly white cheese 

The veggies are usually added on top of the soup in the bowl, lime squirted on top, and the tostadas, covered with sour cream and cheese crumbled over it, are eaten on the side. But this is all up to the the taste of the individual. 

Final suggestion: Pozole is always best enjoyed with a large group of people, shots of Mezcal (or Tequila if there's nothing else), Mariachi music, and any other pieces of Mexico you can conjure. 

If you liked this I recommend you to check out my other posts from the series What to Eat in Mexico: 

• Chilaquiles, for Stale Tortillas and a Hangover 
• Making Salsa
• Tortillas and Other Incarnations of Maize 
• Tacos, As Basic As You Can Get 
• Guacamole, With and Without Spirulina