30-Minute Mountain Screamer Pozole

I work from home and literally made the pozole you see in the pictures during my lunch break! Makes about 5 servings.

Picture shows boneless chicken breast pozole but same recipe applies to bone-in chicken or pork shoulder/butt with minor cook time modifications.

Depending on how you make it, Pozole can take about 2 hours on average to make. There are several factors that can affect the time however; whether or not you cook the hominy from scratch, the type of meat and chile you use and of course how many tias and primos (aunts and cousins,) gathered around to help!

Pozole conjures up memories of family and friend gatherings, holidays, birthdays, and New Year's. This is because Pozole is one of the most affordable and tastiest ways of feeding large crowds. Whenever my mother's family had get together' s in West Covina or La Puente, California, there was almost always Pozole served. It was one of the most delicious core memories that I carry with me. My tias made the best plates of warm pork pozole served with sides of fried beans, salsas, tostadas, and birote or bolillos, sliced in half lengthwise (Birote/bolillos are Mexican style baguette-type bread that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside,) it was genius! Once they were done setting up their spread you could opt to make yourself a torta or tostada, smeared with beans, topped with shredded pork, sprinkled with salsa, lettuce, radishes and a side plate of amazing pozole!

The quick Pozole I made here is with boneless chicken breast but you can make this exact recipe with whole chicken parts, bone included for a richer flavor, or with pork shoulder/ butt pieces. The trick is that you will plan the cook time based on the type of meat you choose. If you choose pork butt/shoulder pieces, or whole chicken in pieces the boiling time will change from the steps below. For pork butt/shoulder pieces with bone, boil for about 2 - 4 hours until the meat becomes so tender it pulls easily apart from the bone. For bone-in, cut-up chicken, boil for about 1 hour.

30-Minute Mountain Screamer Pozole

Ingredients

• 1 Jar of Mountain Screamer Green or Red Sauce

• About 2 - 3 tablespoons of oil (any kind)

• 2 to 3 slices of onion, finely chopped

• About 3 lbs. of un-cooked chicken breast cut in 1 - 3 inch pieces

• 3 - 4 bay leaves

• Knorr Chicken Bouillon- treat this as if it were salt substitution! Dissolve a teaspoon into the broth first, taste it- if it needs more, add a 2nd teaspoon and so on, until you get the saltiness you love

• Either one 110 oz (large) can of hominy or three 25 oz cans (smaller.) If you get the large can, use only 3/4ths of it, use all 3 of the smaller cans if you got those instead.

Toppings

• About 1/2 of a cabbage finely sliced/chopped

• Chopped fresh cilantro

• About 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Mexican dry oregano

• Several sliced limes and/or lemons

• Sliced radishes

• About 1/2 an onion, finely chopped

• Red pepper flakes for added heat if desired

Section 2: Add Numbered Directions

Lightly fry chopped onions with approx 2 tablespoons of oil

Add Mountain Screamer 16 oz jar to the onions, use the same jar to add 2 - 3 jars of water.

Image of the Knorr you will need.

Image of suggested brand of hominy you will need

My plate, I LOVE dipping birote/bolillo/sliced bread on that delicious lime-filled broth!

1. To prep in advance, open the can/s of hominy and drain the water. Rinse the hominy until the water flows clean, set to the side.

2. In a 5+ quart pot, lightly fry the two slices of chopped onions with the 2 - 3 tablespoons of oil.

3. Add the whole 16 oz jar of red or green Mountain Screamer sauce. Fill the same container with water and pour into the pot. Do this two to three times depending on how much broth you want.

4. Add the meat to the broth and bring to a simmer. If there is a frothy layer of thick greasy bubbles on top, skim the top with a spoon to get rid of this layer until the greasy bubbles are gone.

5. Add the whole bay leaves and the hominy, cover and bring back up to a slow simmer.

6. Add the Knorr Chicken Bouillon and don't forget to treat it as if it were a salt substitution! Dissolve a teaspoon into the broth first, taste it- if it needs more, add a 2nd teaspoon and so on, until you get the saltiness you love.

7. Cover the pot, make sure it remains at a low simmer and cook for approximately 20 minutes. (Cook time is for the boneless chicken breast 1 - 3 inch pieces. If you are making pork butt/shoulder pieces with bone, boil for about 2 - 4 hours until the meat becomes so tender it pulls easily apart from the bone. For bone-in- cut-up chicken, boil for about 1 hour.) The hominy will maintain it's shape very well whether you boil it for 20 minutes or 2 - 4 hours.

8. Once done, remove the bay leaves and discard. Serve in a bowl and top with optional cabbage, oregano, limes/lemon, chopped onions, cilantro, radishes and red pepper flakes, enjoy!

I hope you enjoy it! Let me know if you made this and how it turned out for you!