Authentic Mexican Pozole Verde (Guerrero Pork and Hominy Stew with Tomatillos & Pepitas)
The pride of Guerrero, Mexico: fall-apart simmered pork shoulder and blossomed cacahuazintle hominy infused with an emerald pipián-style salsa of toasted pumpkin seeds, tomatillos, charred poblanos, jalapeños, and fresh epazote.
History & Origins
Guerrero’s Sacred ‘Jueves Pozolero’
In the state of Guerrero, Thursday is traditionally celebrated with Pozole Verde. Blending pre-Hispanic nixtamalized corn with local toasted pepitas and green herbs, it creates a thick, velvety broth distinct from the red chile-dominated stews of Jalisco.
Ingredients
Pork & Corn Simmering Base
- •3.5 lbs Bone-in pork shoulder or ribs, cut into large chunks
- •2 large cans (29 oz each) White Mexican hominy (maíz pozolero), rinsed thoroughly
- •1 large White onion, halved, and 1 whole head of garlic, sliced horizontally across
- •Salsa Verde Base 1 lb fresh tomatillos, 2 poblano chiles, 2 serrano chiles, 3/4 cup toasted hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas), 1 cup fresh cilantro, 1 sprig epazote
Finishing, Garnishes & Chef’s Additions
- •2 cups Finely shredded green cabbage or romaine lettuce
- •1 bunch Red radishes, thinly sliced into rounds
- •1 tbsp Dried Mexican oregano and red chile piquín flakes for sprinkling
- •Crisp Corn tostadas spread with crema and fresh lime wedges
Step-by-Step Instructions
PREPARATION & METHOD
Place pork shoulder pieces, halved onion, and split garlic head in a large 10-quart stockpot. Cover with 14 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil, skim foam, add drained hominy, and simmer on medium-low for 90 minutes until pork is fork-tender.
Char poblanos and serranos under a broiler; peel poblanos and seed them. Husk and boil tomatillos for 5 minutes. Blend toasted pumpkin seeds with tomatillos, chiles, cilantro, epazote, and 1 cup pork broth into a silky emerald puree.
Heat 2 tablespoons lard in a Dutch oven. Pour in the blended green salsa, searing and stirring for 5 minutes until deep olive green. Pour seared salsa into the main pork and hominy stockpot, simmering gently together for 25 minutes to blend flavors.
Ladle hearty portions of tender pork and puffed hominy into deep clay cazuelas with plenty of green broth. Pass garnishes of shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, Mexican oregano, and limes at the table with crispy tostadas.
Beverage Pairing
Mezcal Joven / Bohemia Clara Cerveza
A neat pour of artisanal Guerrero Mezcal with herbaceous agave smoke highlights roasted poblanos, while a crisp Bohemia lager cuts through rich pork collagen.
Culinary Science Insight
Pepita Emulsification & Hominy Starch Gelatinization
Toasting pumpkin seeds denatures their proteins and frees natural lipids, creating a stable colloidal emulsion when pureed with tart tomatillo pectin. The nixtamalized hominy releases amylose starches that body the broth without muddying its vibrant herbal flavors.