← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 1 kg pork shoulder, cut into large chunks
• 500 g meaty pork ribs or neck bones
• 1 white onion, quartered
• 8 cloves Garlic, peeled
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 4 l Water
• 1 tbsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1.2 kg tinned hominy (drained weight), rinsed
• ½ small cabbage, finely shredded
• 8 Radish, thinly sliced
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 3 Lime, cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp dried Mexican oregano, for sprinkling
• ground dried chilli or salsa macha, to taste
• 8 tostadas, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Put the pork, ribs, onion, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, oregano and water in your largest pot. Bring to the boil and skim off the grey foam for 10 min, until the broth looks clean.
2. Lower the heat, add the salt and simmer, partly covered, for 1½ hours, until the pork is very tender.
3. Add the hominy and simmer for 30–40 min more, until the kernels swell and open up like flowers. Top up with hot water if the broth drops too low.
4. Lift out the meat, shred it into bite-size pieces (discarding bones), and return it to the pot. Fish out the bay leaves and onion. Taste and season generously; the broth should be well salted.
5. Ladle into deep bowls and let everyone add their own cabbage, radish, onion, oregano rubbed between the palms, a big squeeze of lime and as much chilli as they like. Serve with tostadas.

Tips

• Make it a day ahead and chill: the fat sets on top and is easy to lift off before reheating.
• Tinned hominy is sold in Latin shops and online; dried nixtamalised corn is even better but needs soaking overnight.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Maricruz Avalos Rick Bayless