Javelina Pozole Rojo
Javelina Recipe
1Setup & Prepare
About This Recipe
Traditional Mexican soup with javelina, hominy, and red chile brothâfestive, interactive one-pot meal.
Cultural Context
(150 words) Pozole, the ancient Mexican soup of hominy and meat, dates to pre-Columbian times when it held ceremonial significance for Aztec culture. Today, pozole represents celebration food served at parties, holidays, and family gatherings throughout Mexico and the American Southwest. The soup comes in three versionsârojo (red), verde (green), and blanco (white)âdistinguished by their chile base. Javelina makes exceptional pozole: the long simmering tenderizes lean meat while creating rich, chile-infused broth, and the hominy provides hearty texture and authentic character. This preparation has become popular at Southwestern wild game dinners and Mexican-American celebrations. The interactive serving styleâdiners customize bowls with radishes, cabbage, oregano, and limeâcreates festive, participatory meal. Pozole represents successful cultural adaptation, honoring Mexican tradition while embracing wild game, proving ancient recipes can celebrate new ingredients.
2Ingredients
Shopping List
*For the Pozole
*For Serving
3Cooking Instructions
- Place javelina, onion halves, 4 garlic cloves, and bay leaves in large pot. Add water and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook for 2-2½ hours until meat is very tender.
- While meat simmers, toast dried chiles in dry skillet until fragrant. Remove stems and seeds. Soak in hot water for 20 minutes.
- Drain chiles and blend with remaining 2 garlic cloves, cumin, oregano, and 2 cups of the meat broth until smooth.
- Remove meat from broth and shred. Strain broth, discarding solids.
- Return broth to pot and add chile puree through fine-mesh strainer, pressing solids to extract all liquid. Discard solids.
- Add shredded meat and hominy to pot. Simmer for 30 minutes to meld flavors.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt. Pozole should be richly flavored and slightly spicy.
- Serve in large bowls with all toppings on the side. Let diners customize with cabbage, radishes, onion, oregano, lime juice, and crushed tostadas.
4Chef's Notes & Pairings
Chef's Notes
- Using both ancho and guajillo chiles creates complex, balanced chile flavor.
- Don't skip straining the chile pureeâseeds create bitter flavor.
- Hominy (nixtamalized corn) is essentialâdon't substitute regular corn.
- Pozole should be brothy, not thickâadd water if needed.
- Toppings aren't optional; they're integral to the pozole experience.
Wine Pairing
Mexican Lager or Tempranillo â Light Mexican beer is traditional, or try Spanish Tempranillo for wine pairing.
Nutrition Facts
(per serving) Calories: 385 | Protein: 36g | Fat: 12g | Carbohydrates: 38g | Iron: 5.4mg
