New Mexico Pozole-Style Pork Stew

Shredded pork stewed in a vibrantly seasoned broth of diced tomatoes, chipotle, Tex-Mex seasonings, hominy, and pinto beans.

This play on the classic pozole is a GREAT soup for the Instant Pot or slow cooker and it freezes fantastically, too!

I refer to this warm, zesty soup as “Pozole-style” because the recipe itself is inspired by the traditional Mexican soup of pozole (posole).

How do you mimic classic pozole flavors like that!?

Traditional pozole requires a long prep and cooking time. Its base is made from dried chilis steeped in hot water and then blended.

This recipe cheats that flavor a bit, using diced red tomatoes and chipotle paste to get a similar color, smoky spice, and depth of flavor.

Using tomatoes, chipotle, and seasonings the way this soup does turn the classically long-simmered pozole into a quick drop-&-cook prepped meal for weeknights.

Ok, I’m in. What are swaps and substitutions I can use?

Pozole can be a deeply personal, traditional soup. Its flavors and ingredients can vary from place to place and even household to household!

But most recipes include a combination of hominy and pinto beans. You can use one or the other, but I LOVE this pozole with hominy. The texture can’t be beaten!

Never had hominy before? You can usually find it canned with other beans and vegetables. It’s actually a type of corn that’s been soaked. I liken the flavor to something earthy, almost meaty. The texture reminds me of okra, especially once it’s been cooked. It really elevates this stew and I highly recommend making sure to use it!

Traditional pozole, as I mentioned, calls for long-simmered chiles which are then blended into the broth. But canned chipotle peppers have a similar flavor, with waaaaay less cooking time! They’re just the right combo of smoke and heat for this soup.

If you can only find canned chipotle peppers and not the paste, no worries on there, either- add the chilis from the can and use your spoon to break up the chilis after the soup is cooked.

This soup calls for a pork shoulder to be cooked in the broth and then shredded, but if you can only find pork butt, that’s fine too- and feel free to use the bone-in and remove the bone later, if you’d like.

Top this warming soup with your favorite toppings like grated cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, avocados, and squeezed lime juice.  

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New Mexico Pozole-Style Pork Stew

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

6 hrs

 

Stew simmered with tomatoes, chipotle, hominy and shredded pork shoulder. It’s a play on the classic New Mexican soup pozole.

Course: Dinner, Lunch, One Pan

Keyword: instant pot, slow cooker

Servings: 4

Author: Ruthy Kirwan

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt
• 28 ounce can drained hominy
• 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 14 ounce can drained pinto beans
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons jarred or canned chipotle paste or 2 canned or jarred peppers
• 4 cups beef broth

For serving:

• Grated cotija cheese
• Chopped cilantro leaves
• Avocados
• Fresh lime juice

Instructions

Prep Ahead:

1. Prepare all ingredients as directed and transfer to a large resealable bag or container.
2. Label the bag- including the amount of water you’ll need on cooking day if you used stock cubes or broth concentrate.
3. If eating in the next day or so, you can chop cilantro, grate cotija, and squeeze lime as toppings to hold.

Prepare From Prepped:

Instant Pot Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot and secure the lid, including water if you’ve used stock cubes or broth concentrate.
2. If cooking from frozen: Cook on High for 60 minutes with a natural pressure release.
3. If cooking from thawed: Cook on High for 40 minutes withy a natural pressure release.
4. Serve hot with desired toppings.

Slow Cooker Instructions: Thaw in fridge overnight before cooking

1. Add all ingredients to slow cooker and secure the lid, including water if you’ve used stock cubes or broth concentrate.
2. Cook low for 6 hours, high for 4, until the pork is falling apart tender.
3. Use two spoons to shred apart the pork shoulder inside the soup. If needed, use a wooden spoon to press and break apart the chipotle chilis.
4. Serve hot with desired toppings.

Stovetop Instructions: Thaw in fridge overnight before cooking

1. Add the ingredients to a large pot set over medium heat, including water if you’ve used stock cubes or broth concentrate.
2. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer.
3. Cook over low heat for 2-2.5 hours, uncovered.
4. Once the pork has cooked enough that is fall apart tender, use two spoons to shred apart. Use a spoon to press and break apart chipotle peppers, if needed.
5. Serve hot with desired toppings.

Make From Fresh:

Instant Pot Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot and secure the lid.
2. Cook on High Pressure for 40 minutes with a natural pressure release.
3. Use two spoons to shred apart the pork shoulder inside the soup. If needed, use a wooden spoon to press and break apart the chipotle chilis.
4. Serve hot with desired toppings.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and secure the lid.
2. Cook low for 6 hours, high for 4, until the pork is falling apart tender.
3. Use two spoons to shred apart the pork shoulder inside the soup. If needed, use a wooden spoon to press and break apart the chipotle chilis.
4. Serve hot with desired toppings.

Stovetop Instructions

1. Add the ingredients to a large pot set over medium heat.
2. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer.
3. Cook over low heat for 2-2.5 hours, uncovered.
4. Once the pork has cooked enough that is fall apart tender, use two spoons to shred apart. Use a spoon to press and break apart chipotle peppers, if needed.
5. Serve hot with desired toppings.

Recipe Notes

“Pozole-style”, because the recipe itself is inspired by the traditional Mexican soup of pozole, which can take a while to cook, after the chilis used in its base are steeped in hot water and then blended.

This recipe cheats a bit, using diced red tomatoes and chipotle paste to get the same color, smoky spice, and depth of flavor.

If you can only find pork butt, that’s fine too- and feel free to use the bone-in and remove the bone later, if you’d like.

If you can only find canned chipotle peppers and not the paste, add the chilis from the can and use your spoon to break up the chilis after the soup is cooked.

Top this warming soup with your favorite toppings like grated cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, avocados, and squeezed lime juice.