Whenever I think of or visit Enchantment Resort, my early project done during the 1980s in Sedona, AZ, I always crave Pozole. Enchantment Resort sits in Boynton Canyon, which is sacred to the Yavapai Tribe, and this dish originated with the native people of Mexico. The word “pozole” means hominy, the main ingredient of this stew. This recipe is a Candelaria-family favorite and was made often by my Grandma Rose in Durango. Enjoy with a shot of tequila and an orange wedge sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
Red Chile Smoked Pork Pozole Rojo
6–8 Servings
Red Chile Sauce
Follow this recipe or substitute 1–13 oz defrosted tub of Hatch Red Chile, heat level temperature as you like it from mild, medium to hot.
• 12 Hatch red chiles with stems and seeds removed but not the veins
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
• 2 cloves organic garlic roughly chopped
• 2 peppercorns crushed
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano; use Mexican dried oregano, if possible
• 1/3 cup dried red chile powder
• Sea salt to taste
Smoked Pulled Pork Pozole
• 1 5lb bone-in pork butt
• 1-1/2 cups of apple juice
• 4 tbsps brown sugar
• 1 tsp of smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp of salt
• 1 110oz can of Mexican Style hominy, drained and rinsed
• 6 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 tsp dried oregano; use Mexican dried oregano, if possible
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 to 2 boxes of 15.5ozs of chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
• Diced red onions
• Shredded Mexican cheese or Cheddar cheese
• Sliced radishes
• Shredded iceberg lettuce
• Cilantro and a lime wedge
• Optional dollop of Sour Cream
Preparation
Red Chile Sauce
• Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chilies. Flatten the chiles as much as possible and place on a metal sheet pan and then lightly smoke and toast them in your smoker, taking care not to let them burn. You just want to warm them up and infuse that smoky flavor.
• Transfer the chiles to a pot, cover with water and bring them to a simmer; continue cooking for about 5 minutes. Set them aside to soak for another 10 minutes; by this time, they should be rehydrated and fleshy. Discard all but a cup of the water.
• Put 1 cup of chicken broth and the one cup of chile water into the blender, add the garlic, peppercorns, oregano, salt, cinnamon and blend as smooth as possible. I also like to add some dried powdered chile; use whatever level of heat you want to kick up your sauce.
• Add the chiles and blend them as much as you can so you get a nice thick liquid. Add more dried chile or more broth to adjust to the desired thickness. You want it to have a nice thickness –– not too runny and not too thick –– like a nice gravy.
• Transfer the sauce to a bowl through a fairly fine strainer, pressing as hard as you can to extract as much of the flesh as possible. Discard the debris of tough skin still remaining. Add more salt and oregano if necessary. Your sauce is ready to go!
Smoked Pulled Pork Pozole
• Drain and rinse the hominy and set aside.
• Trim the pork butt of all excess fat leaving the top fat cap intact.
• Combine apple juice, brown sugar, paprika, 2 cloves of garlic smashed and salt in a small bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Using a meat injector, inject the pork butt all over with the mixture. Rub the exterior with olive oil and well coat with your favorite rub.
• Place the pork butt in the smoker and smoke for 1–2 hours.
• Then I like to take the pork butt off the smoker and break it into chunks and put it in the Instant Pot with 1 cup of chicken broth. Close the lid, set to high pressure and cook for 40 minutes. When done, release the lid and remove, reserving the juice.
• Sauté the onions and remaining garlic in a little olive oil in a stock pot until tender and translucent. Shred the pork and pour the juice from the Instant Pot and add the pulled pork into the stock pot with the onions and garlic and then add the drained and rinsed hominy. Add the red chile sauce, and as much broth as you like.
• Add salt, pepper, oregano and two bay leaves and bring to a boil, then simmer as long as you can.
• Serve in a bowl and garnish as you prefer.
Enjoy!