Ingredients:

  • 1.36 kg Pork Shoulder (Boston Butt), cut into 3.8 cm cubes
  • 0.45 kg Pork Neck Bones
  • 1 large white onion, halved
  • 1 head of garlic, top sliced off to expose cloves
  • 5 dried Guajillo chiles
  • 3 dried Ancho chiles
  • 2 dried Chiles de Árbol
  • 3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp fine sea salt
  • 1.64 kg white hominy, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tbsp dried Mexican oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5.7 liters water

Instructions:

  1. Place the pork shoulder cubes, neck bones, halved onion, and the head of garlic into a large stockpot. Cover with 5.7 liters of water. Bring to a boil until a grey foam rises to the surface, then reduce to a low simmer. Skim off the grey foam/impurities.
  2. Prepare the chile paste: Remove stems and seeds from the Guajillo, Ancho, and Árbol chiles. Toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 minute until fragrant. Submerge in hot water for 20 minutes to rehydrate until soft and floppy.
  3. Blend the soaked chiles with 3 cloves of fresh garlic, 1 tsp of ground cumin, and a splash of the soaking liquid until completely smooth.
  4. Position a fine-mesh strainer over the simmering pot. Pour the chile sauce through the strainer into the broth, using a spoon to push the liquid through and discarding the leftover skins and seeds.
  5. Add the drained hominy, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves to the pot. Simmer for 1 hour and 30 mins or until the pork is fork-tender and the hominy has 'bloomed' or puffed up.