There are many versions of pozole but one of my favorites is Pozole Blanco. Unlike other pozoles where chiles are a part of the broth, Blanco is broth, meat and hominy and the heat comes from salsa on the table, to be added by the diner. This means you need a really great broth, the kind you can only get by making it yourself.

Traditionally, you’d have red chile powder, Mexican oregano and limes for serving but I love the purity and freshness of the Chile Manzano Salsa and there’s plenty of oregano in both the broth and the salsa. The salsa has our Pineapple Vinegar so limes might be redundant. If you spy manzano chiles at the market, go for it. Otherwise, make an equally incredible salsa with fresh habaneros instead of the manzanos. 

Serve 6–8

For the broth:

• 1 whole chicken, cut into parts, including the back 
• 1 yellow or white onion, sliced 
• 4–6 garlic cloves, cut in half (skins on is fine) 
• 3 bay leaves 
• 3 stalks celery, roughly chopped 
• 1 small carrot, peeled and roughly chopped 
• 1 teaspoon Rancho Gordo Oregano Indio 
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme 
• 1 stick Rancho Gordo Canela/Soft Cinnamon 
• 3 cloves 
• 3 whole allspice 
• 3 whole peppercorns 
• Salt

For the hominy:

• 4 cups cooked Rancho Gordo Prepared Hominy, plus 2 cups of reserved cooking liquid (see below or click here for cooking directions)

For the Chile Manzano Salsa:

• 4 Manzano chiles, seeded and finely sliced 
• 1 small red onion, peeled and finely sliced 
• 1 tablespoon Rancho Gordo Oregano Indio 
• 1/4 cup Rancho Gordo Pineapple Vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon salt

For serving:

• Chile Manzano salsa 
• Thinly sliced radishes 
• Shredded lettuce 
• Quartered limes (optional) 
• Fresh cilantro leaves (optional) 
• White onion, finely chopped (optional) 
• Rancho Gordo Oregano Indio or Mexican Oregano (optional) 
• Rancho Gordo New Mexican Red Chile Powder (optional)

1. Add the chicken to a large stockpot and add 2–3 quarts of water. Turn the heat to high. Once the water starts to boil, reduce to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. After about 5 minutes, check for scum on top of the water and remove with a small sieve or slotted spoon. Add the rest of the broth ingredients and continue simmering until the individual chicken pieces are cooked through. Remove the breasts after about 20 minutes; thighs, drumsticks and wings will take about 40 minutes.
2. Allow the chicken pieces to cool. Remove any remaining skin and shred the meat with your hands. Strain the broth and reserve. You should have one bowl of shredded chicken and one large amount of broth.
3. For the salsa, in a serving bowl, combine all of the ingredients and toss well. Check for seasoning and add salt to taste. 
4. When all the preparations are done, add the cooked hominy and shredded chicken to your pot. Add a total of 2 quarts plus 1 cup of liquid from the chicken broth and the hominy water (I usually add about 2 cups hominy-cooking water). Cover the pot and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat. Once warmed through, serve in individual bowls and allow guests to dress up their bowls with radishes, lettuce and the Chile Manzano Salsa, along with whatever else you choose.

How to cook dried hominy: Sort and rinse hominy. Soak for 8 hours in cold water, then drain. Add to a large pot with 1 roughly chopped onion and cover with 2 inches of fresh water. Bring to a hard boil over high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook hominy uncovered until chewy and tender but not chalky, approximately 2 hours. Hominy usually flowers, like popcorn, when finished. Reserve 2 cups of cooking liquid for later use, then drain. One pound (or 2 cups) dried hominy yields about 7 cups when cooked, and substitutes for canned hominy in recipes with none of the rubbery texture.