41Cooked Dried Hominy
MAKES ABOUT 7 CUPS
Active: 3 hr. 10 min.
Total: 9 hr. 10 min.
Ca nne d hominy is readily ava il -
able in supermarkets, but the
dried version delivers far supe-
rior flavor and none of the gummy
texture. Rancho Gordo sells a
prepared dried hominy, avail-
able online or in some specialty
markets.1 lb. dried prepared hominy
(2½ cups)
½ medium yellow onion
(4½ oz.)
1 In a large pot, add the hominy
and enough cold water to cover
by 2 inches. Cover and set aside
to soak at room temperature for
at least 6 hours and up to 10.
2 Transfer the pot to the stove.
Add more water as needed to
cover the hominy by 2 inches. Add
the onion half, and bring the mix-
ture to a boil over hig h heat. C ook
at a f ull boil for 10 minute s , then
lower the heat to medium-low,
and cook at a gentle simmer until
the kernels split open and feel
tender with no chalkiness remain-
ing at their center, about 3 hours.
Check the pot occasionally,
and add more water as needed
to keep the kernels covered by
about an inch of water.
3 Set a colander over a large bowl
and strain the kernels. If using the
hominy for pozole, reserve the
kernels and 2 cups of the cooking
liquid, and discard the remainder
of the liquid.cover to maintain a very gentle
simmer. Cook until the meat is
very tender and the stock is fla-
vorful, 2½–3 hours.
2 Remove the pork from the stock,
and set aside. Once cool enough
to handle, remove and reserve the
meat. Discard the bones.
3 Set a fine strainer over a large
bowl, and strain the stock, dis-
carding any solids. Let cool, then
refrigerate for at least 6 hours
or overnight, until the fat con-
geals at the top. Skim away the
fat, and reserve for another use
or discard.
4 In a large dry skillet over high
heat, add the chiles and cook,
turning once, until fragrant and
toasted, 20 seconds per side.
5 In a medium heatproof bowl, add
the toasted chiles and enough boil-
ing water to submerge. Set aside
until rehydrated and softened,
about 20 minutes.
6 Ma ke the broth: In a hig h - p ow -
ered blender, add the chiles
(re ser ve the liquid ), onion, a nd
garlic. Blend on high speed until
smooth, adding a tablespoon or
two of the chile soaking liquid as
needed. Set a fine strainer over a
medium bowl and pour the chile
mixture into it, pressing with a
rubber spatula or the back of a
spoon to extract as much liquid as
possible. Discard any solids.
7 In a large pot, add the oil and
heat over medium-high heat.
Once hot, stir in the chile mixture.Lower the heat to medium-low,
and continue cooking until thick-
ened slightly, 10–12 minutes.
Stir in the reserved pork, hominy,
and 6 cups of the prepared stock
(reserve the rest for another use).
The consistency of the pozole
should be that of a thick stew; if
needed, add some of the reserved
hominy cooking water until you
reach the desired consistency. (If
using canned hominy, use water
or more pork stock.) Continue
cooking over medium heat, stir-
ring occasionally, until hot, about
15 minutes.
8 To serve, ladle the pozole
into wide soup bowls. Let each
diner garnish their bowl gener-
ously with their desired mix of
toppings.