It seriously feels like forever since I blogged a recipe.  I am trying to get back into the swing of things now that all the recipes in the cookbook have been completed, and slowly but surely it is all coming back to me.  Getting back into a routine with not only work, but life in general has been much needed.  

I was on a roll last week with working out, eating right, and getting back to some kind of regimen and then bam that stratchy throat feeling came at me hard on Friday.  I knew it was coming and even though I tried to drink it away with ginger tea and vitamin packed smoothies, it just got worse.  Turns out it was a nasty sinus infection and I am finally feeling somewhat better after a few days on antibiotics.  I don't know about you, but when I don't feel good I crave soups non-stop. There is just something about the warm broth that makes me feel better instantly.  My pozole rojo with pork is just the kind of soup that I want when I am sick (or not sick honestly) and I think that you will love it too!

The name of the soup, Pozole, means hominy in Spanish which is obviously a key ingredient to the soup.  Hominy is basically like giant corn kernels that have a slightly chewier texture that I am a fan of.  This soup is spicy, hearty, and pretty healthy too!  With the tender pork, amazing broth, and the chewiness of the hominy, it's the perfect balance of flavors and textures.  Traditionally pozole's are topped with raw radishes, cabbage, onion, and cilantro.  I happen to be a fan of it all and tend to go overboard with my garnishes making it look like I have a salad on top of my soup.  But....you can garnish to your hearts content or not, the decision is up to you!

I made this recipe on the stove in my dutch oven because I was home, but you totally could do this in the slow cooker while you are at work and bam dinner is done whenever you are ready for it.  Either way, it's going to be delicious.

Ingredients:

• Pork Shoulder (I used a smaller one that was around 1 1/2 lbs)

• 1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil

• 6 Cups Chicken Stock

• 1 Onion

• 5 Cloves of Garlic

• 6-8 Dried Ancho Chiles

• 1 1/2-2 Cups of Water

• I 30 oz. Can of Hominy

• 1 Tbsp. Cumin

• 1 Tbsp. Mexican Oregano

• 1 Bay Leaf

• 2 Tbsp. Salt + 1 Tsp.

Toppings-

• Radishes

• Green Cabbage

• Onion

• Cilantro

Directions:

• Remove stems and seeds from the chiles.

• Bring 3 cups of water to a boil and then pour over the dried chiles and let sit for 30 minutes until the chiles have softened. Place a bowl or plate on top of the chiles to keep them submerged under the water if necessary.

• Pat pork shoulder with a paper towel to remove excess moisture and season it with 1 tbsp. salt and cumin and the rub into the meat.

• Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat and then add vegetable oil.

• Sear the pork shoulder on all sides until browned and then remove from the pot onto a plate and let rest.

• While the meat is searing, chop onion and garlic. Reserve two cloves of garlic for the chiles.

• Add the onion and 3 cloves of garlic to the pot and season with 1 tsp. of salt.

• Saute for 2-3 minutes and add in the Mexican oregano and bay leaf. Continue to cook for another minute.

• Add the pork and it's juices back into the pot.

• Add in chicken stock along with 1/2 tbsp. of salt. Bring to a boil.

• Add the soaked chiles along with 1 1/2 cups of the chile water to a food processor or blender and the other 1/2 tbsp of salt. Blend until smooth.

• Add the chile puree to the chicken stock and stir to combine.

• Reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours or until pork is falling apart.

• Remove the pork from the soup and shred the meat before adding it back into the soup.

• Add hominy in and simmer for another 30 minutes.

• Chop radishes, cabbage, onion, and cilantro.

• Serve soup with vegetables on top.