When I arrived at my mural destination, my hostess said she wanted to serve me a very traditional, very nutritious Mexican dish. Pozole. I was told that it used a special kind of corn. That special kind of corn turned out to be hominy. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I told her that it really wasn't all that commonly used in the United States. I said, however, that I remember that my dad used to make it. He boiled it from the can, tossed the water aside, and then poured ketchup all over it. It's the only way I've ever known to eat hominy.

My hostess was horrified. Her way of making pozole was much better. If you have any doubts, just ask her. It was so nutritious with hominy, radishes, coriander and other goodies. In Nahuatl, a language or group of language associated with the Aztecs and other people of central Mexico, the word "pozole" means "foamy" because hominy resembled a foamy froth when prepared.

Actually, I'd had pazole on my previous visit to Cancun, but I didn't remember the name. It's even supposed to help with a hangover, if you enjoy all the tequila available in Mexico. And, if you make it correctly, it's supposed to cook for several hours. So, usually, pozole is saved for special occasions. If you are cooking in a large pot and want to give the dish added local charm, add pigs feet or a pig head to your dish. I think this is an option that I'd pass on, but I wanted to give you the chance if you are so inclined.
 

Soup Ingredients:

2 to 3 cups canned or fresh .....hominy, rinsed Pork shoulder or roast -- 2 pounds Garlic -- 3 to 5 cloves Ground cumin -- 2 teaspoons Salt -- 2 teaspoons Pork stock -- 6 cups 2 Tbs pork lard or vegetable oil 1 medium-sized white onion, diced Generous pinch of cumin Pinch of ground clove or allspice 1 ancho chile, toasted, stemmed, .....seeded, chopped 1 guajillo chile, toasted, stemmed, .....seeded, chopped 1 chipotle chile en adobe, puréed 1 chipotle chile en adobe, puréed

Soup Preparations:
If you are like me, you avoid recipes with just a zillion ingredients that are not in your kitchen.  You don't have to use all of the soup ingredients that I listed.  I'm giving you options.  For a more basic soup, add the hominy, pork, garlic, cumin, salt, and stock to a large pot.  I saw recipes that swear by pork head, feet, and backbone for this dish. For some reason, the bones are important, but I'm finding it painful to even write the words down.  I like the sound of pork shoulder or pork roast a whole lot more.

Bring this all to a boil over a medium-high heat. Then, simmer the pot for and hour and a half to two hours.  You want the meat very tender.  Strain off any foam or fat.

Next, remove the meat from the pot and let it cool. When you can handle the meat without burning your fingers, shred the pork, and remove bones.  Return the meat to the pot and cook for another 15 minutes.

If you are going to use the additional ingredients, in a separate skillet, brown the onion and garlic in the lard or oil.  Stir in the cumin, cloves/allspice, chiles, and oregano.  When the onions and garlic are ready, pour all of this into the pot with the pork and hominy.
          
Garnishes: 

Cabbage or iceberg .....lettuce, shredded Onion, finely diced Radishes, thinly sliced Limes, cut into wedges Avocado, diced Cilantro, chopped

Oregano, dried Chile piquín, ground Cotija or other sharp, .....crumbly cheese Tortillas, fresh and warm Tostada shells with .....mashed avocado A mystery ingredient

      
When the pozole is ready to be enjoyed, serve it up in individual bowls.  You don't need all of the garnishes listed.  Each person is supposed to individualize their soup to their own tastes.  I personally enjoyed shredded cabbage, radishes, freshly squeezed lime juice, cilantro, warm tortillas, and a mystery ingredient sprinkled over the bowl.  I had no idea what it was.  Later I learned that it was crumbled pork rinds.  How could I have ever guessed that?