Hold the Pozole, Pozole Please!

Pozole is a deliciously spicy Mexican soup with hominy (Pozole). What I’m making is a Pozole without hominy, so is it still considered Pozole?

The consensus was a resounding “NO”, so I aptly renamed it “Hold the Pozole, Pozole Please!” OMgosh, I think I’ll be saying that word in my sleep for the next couple nights.

Anyway, it’s a really easy recipe. However, it does require a few hours to roast the pork loin. The pork will roast in the oven lo-ow and slo-ow. I’m also going to share a great dry rub for the pork and it works perfectly with this recipe.

Shall we get started?

Normally a Whole Pork Shoulder or a Whole Boston Butt (such a fun(ny) word) is used but today we’re going to be using a 1 lb Pork Loin (less fat, grease, and calories) with a homemade dry rub and we’re going to oven roast it “low and slow”. It’s going to turn out moist on the inside, slightly crispy on the outside, and deliciously savory throughout. Trust me!

Homemade Dry Rub:

2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons spicy paprika, or mild, or smokey if you don’t like a lot of spicy (I got my paprika in Croatia and it’s sooo good), use the best quality you can afford
1/2 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients well in a small bowl. Put aside 2 tablespoons for the soup base. Store any leftovers in an airtight container. Keep out of light and away from heat, your rub will keep for at least 6 months. However, you probably won’t have much left over or any at all.

Next, rub your meat with the homemade dry rub:

😜

Grab a large roasting pan, and generously sprinkle the dry rub over all surface and ends of the pork loin so that every part is covered.

Place the pork loin with the fat layer facing up before roasting.

Let’s get to roasting:

Pre-heat your oven to 225 degrees F or 110 degrees C. Cook uncovered for 2 1/2 hours. Once it’s cooked for 2 1/2 hours, turn off the oven and let the pork roast cool for an hour before removing from the oven.

In the roasting pan, shred and pull the pork meat with two forks working in opposite directions. Toss in the rub and drippings if you’d like.

Chop up the shredded pork into mouth sized pieces. Don’t be like me and let your shredded pork slap you in your face. 😜

And finally, we continue on to make the Hold the Pozole, Pozole Please!:

Here’s what you’ll need.

1 small red onion, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons of the homemade dry rub
3 ounces (85g) tomato paste
1/2 tsp cumin
2 cups (1 pint) water
3 cups (1 1/2 pints) chicken broth
1 cup (250 ml) dried quinoa
1 lb (453 g)of shredded pork
1 to 2 fresh limes
1/2 bunch cilantro

Optional toppings: Shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado slices or chunks, sliced radishes, shredded cabbage

Heat oil in large soup pot. Saute the onion in the oil over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender and translucent. Add the flour and 2 tablespoons of the leftover homemade dry rub and continue to saute for 2 minutes more. The mixture will be fairly dry so make sure to continue stirring to prevent burning.
Add 2 cups water, tomato paste, and cumin. Whisk the ingredients together until the tomato paste is dissolved. Allow mixture to come to a simmer, at which point it will thicken.
Add the chicken broth and quinoa. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Finally add the shredded pork and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or until quinoa is tender and shredded pork is heated through.
Cut the lime(s) into wedges or quarters and roughly chop the cilantro. Top each bowl with the chopped cilantro and a wedge of lime to squeeze over the top.

Serves: 6

See, that wasn’t hard at all! Pat yourself on the back for making another successfully delicious meal for you and your family. 🙌