Pozole Rojo

In a large stockpot combine the Pork Shoulder and Pork Neck Bones with enough Water to cover, then add one halved White Onion, several cloves of Garlic, a Bay Leaf and a generous pinch of Fine Sea Salt. Bring to a gentle boil, skim any foam, then lower heat and simmer uncovered until the pork is very tender, about 1½–2 hours.

Remove the meat and bones from the pot. Reserve the cooking liquid, strain it if needed, discard the bones and cartilage, and shred the pork into bite-sized pieces. Keep the strained broth warm.

While the pork simmers or after you remove it, prepare the chiles: remove stems and seeds from the Dried Guajillo Chiles and Dried Ancho Chiles. Toast them briefly in a dry skillet just until fragrant (30–60 seconds), then soak them in hot water for 15–20 minutes until softened.

Drain the softened chiles, reserving a little soaking liquid. In a blender combine the chiles with a few tablespoons of the reserved soaking water and a small piece of the cooked White Onion and a clove of the cooked Garlic (or raw if you prefer more bite); add a pinch of Mexican Oregano and a little Fine Sea Salt. Blend until very smooth, then push the puree through a fine sieve into a bowl to remove any bits of skin.

Heat a few tablespoons of Lard (or neutral oil) in a skillet over medium heat, then sauté the strained chile puree for 4–6 minutes until it deepens in color and loses its raw edge—this develops the sauce’s flavor. Careful: it can splatter, so stir frequently.

Stir the toasted chile sauce into the pot with the reserved pork broth. Add the White Hominy (if canned, drain and rinse first; if dried/nixtamalized, add cooked hominy) and bring the stew to a gentle simmer. Add the shredded pork back to the pot and cook together for 15–30 minutes so the flavors meld. Taste and adjust seasoning with more Fine Sea Salt if needed.

To serve, arrange bowls of pozole and let everyone garnish their own with shredded Green Cabbage, thinly sliced Radishes, extra chopped White Onion, wedges of Lime, a sprinkle of Mexican Oregano and crushed Chile Piquín for heat.

Offer warm Tostadas or tortilla chips on the side for scooping or for piling pozole and toppings; enjoy immediately while hot.