Description
A green pork pozole-inspired soup with hominy, pinto beans, and tender, compact masa dumplings.
Yield: 6 generous or 8 smaller servings
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: Approximately 2¼–3 hours, depending on pork and batch browning
Total: Approximately 2¾–3½ hours
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, 1-inch cubes
- 1 can pinto beans, 15 ounces, drained and rinsed
- 1 can hominy, 25 ounces, drained and rinsed
- Up to 2 cups roasted mild green chiles, prepared and chopped; less if hot
- 1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, quartered
- 1 chopped onion
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 6 cups chicken broth, divided, plus extra as needed
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Up to 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, to taste
Dumpling Ingredients
- 1 cup masa harina
- 2 tablespoons softened butter or vegetable shortening
- Approximately ½–¾ cup warm broth or water, added gradually
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, optional
Instructions
- Blend tomatillos and prepared chiles with ½ cup of the measured broth until mostly smooth.
- Pat pork dry, season with some salt and pepper, and brown in oil in batches for approximately 5–7 minutes each. Transfer to a plate.
- Cook onion 4–5 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic, cumin, and oregano; stir 30–60 seconds.
- Add green mixture and stir 2–3 minutes, scraping browned bits. Return pork and juices; add remaining measured broth.
- Bring just to a boil, then simmer gently, partially covered, approximately 1½–2 hours or longer until fork-tender. Add broth as needed.
- Add hominy and beans; simmer 15 minutes.
- Mix masa and salt, rub in fat, and add warm liquid gradually, starting with ½ cup. Rest 5–10 minutes and adjust to a moist, cohesive dough. Add optional cilantro.
- Shape approximately 18–24 small discs, about 1 inch wide and ⅜–½ inch thick. Keep covered.
- Test one in gently simmering soup, then add remaining dumplings with space. Cover and cook 15–25 minutes, without vigorous boiling or rough stirring.
- Cut one open to confirm a cooked center. Add lime and seasoning to taste and serve with fresh toppings.
Storage: Refrigerate promptly and use within 3–4 days. Reheat to 165°F. Freeze the base without dumplings for up to 3 months for quality.
Little tip: Let the masa rest before adding more liquid, and let the pork become tender before adding dumplings. Those two pauses make the cooking sequence easier to control.