Equipment
Ingredients
Meat and Aromatics
- 15 ml vegetable oil
- 800 g pork shoulder, diced into 2cm pieces
- 1 white onion, diced
- 4 garlic, minced
Spices and Flavor Base
- 30 g chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely minced
- 5 g ground cumin
- 3 g dried mexican oregano
- 10 g kosher salt
Broth and Bulk
- 1000 ml chicken broth, low sodium preferred
- 500 g canned white hominy, drained and rinsed well
Garnishes
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 lime, cut into wedges
- 15 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced pork shoulder and sear until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Wash hands and cutting boards thoroughly after handling raw pork to prevent cross-contamination.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced white onion to the pot with the pork. Sauté until the onion is translucent and softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic, chipotle peppers in adobo, ground cumin, and dried Mexican oregano. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the spices are highly fragrant and coat the meat and onions.
Pour in the chicken broth, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned flavor bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the drained hominy and kosher salt. Bring the stew to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer gently for 55 to 60 minutes. The stew is ready when the pork is fall-apart tender and reaches a minimum internal temperature of 74°C/165°F.
Remove from heat. Ladle the hot stew into serving bowls. Garnish each bowl with sliced radishes, fresh cilantro, and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over the broth.
Chef's Notes
- Mexican oregano has a brighter, more citrus-forward flavor profile compared to Mediterranean oregano. If you must substitute with Mediterranean, use slightly less.
- Hominy acts like a sponge. Rinsing it thoroughly removes the starchy canning liquid, allowing it to soak up the smoky, seasoned pork broth.
- To make this a faster weeknight meal, ensure you dice the pork shoulder into very small, uniform 2cm cubes. Larger chunks will require up to 2 hours of simmering to become tender.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. The flavors will deepen and improve the next day.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze the stew base only. Do not freeze the fresh garnishes.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat until simmering.
