Pork And Hominy Soup Recipe

A perfect hangover cure

By
Jennifer Olvera
Jennifer Olvera is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Jennifer Olvera
Jennifer Olvera is a Chicago-based food writer and cookbook author who has written eight cookbooks and contributed to Serious Eats, the Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, and others.
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Updated May 13, 2019
Pork and hominy soup garnished with sliced radish, lime wedges and crushed tortilla chips. The bowl of soup is next to a bottle of hot sauce.
Slow-cooked pork soup in a two-chili broth, served with a slew of toppings. .

Serious Eats / Jennifer Olvera

Why It Works

  • Cooking the stew in a moderate oven rather than on the stovetop eliminates the need to adjust the heat to maintain a simmer.
  • Simmering the pork ribs in chicken broth rather than water adds another layer of flavor to the stew.

This hangover-abating soup may be just what the doctor ordered. However, it's just as good when you're ailment-free.

Unlike some versions, which simmer the meat in water, this one uses pork to build the flavor of the broth. Make it entirely on the stovetop if you'd like, reducing the simmer time to about one and a half hours over low heat. You can use a slow-cooker as well; choose the six-hour setting for best results.

Straining the broth is important. It helps remove any murkiness or impurities that muddle the flavors.

You can certainly choose to cook hominy from scratch, but I find that canned versions without unnecessary preservatives work just fine, too.

If you don't have access to these types of ground chile powders, go ahead and substitute traditional chile powder in equal measure for both. However, the broth will not have as much depth.

May 2013

Recipe Details

Pork And Hominy Soup Recipe

Active 45 mins
Total 3 hrs
Serves 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, country style pork ribs

  • Kosher salt

  • Black pepper

  • 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)

  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ancho chile

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground chile de árbol

  • 1 (30-ounce) can hominy, rinsed and drained

  • 2 limes, cut into wedges

  • 1 avocado, diced

  • 1 large red onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

  • 1/2 cup sliced radishes

  • 1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).

  2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Generously season pork with salt and pepper. When oil is shimmering, brown meat on all sides, about 7 minutes total. Reduce heat to medium, add onion and garlic and sauté, stirring periodically, until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes.

  3. Add chicken broth, oregano, ancho chile powder and chile de árbol powder to pan. Stir to combine, and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to the oven to cook until pork is fork-tender, about 2 hours.

  4. Remove soup from oven and transfer pork from broth to a platter to cool. When pork is cool enough to handle, shred meat and discard any fat or gristle. Strain broth and return liquid to pan. Add hominy and shredded pork. Season with salt, if necessary, and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes.

  5. Ladle into bowls immediately and serve with lime wedges, avocados, red onions, cilantro, radishes and tortilla chips.

Notes

The soup may be made a day in advance. Just reheat it on the stovetop and don't add the toppings until you're ready to serve it.

Special Equipment

Dutch oven

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
529Calories
27gFat
44gCarbs
34gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories529
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g34%
Saturated Fat 7g37%
Cholesterol 82mg27%
Sodium 706mg31%
Total Carbohydrate 44g16%
Dietary Fiber 7g27%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 26mg132%
Calcium 93mg7%
Iron 3mg18%
Potassium 1162mg25%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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