Instant Pot Pozole Blanco

This Instant Pot version of pozole blanco is rich, soothing and easy to prepare on a weekday. It has no fresh chiles, but it’s definitely not lacking in flavor. For traditionalists who want pozole verde or rojo, we have the instructions for that, too.

1 pound boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3 cups water

1⁄4 small white onion

1 clove garlic

1 bay leaf

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

2 cups cabbage, shredded

1 medium lime, cut into wedges

4 radishes, thinly sliced

Dried Mexican oregano Ground chile powder, such as chile de árbol

Instructions: Season the pork with 1 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Heat an electric pressure cooker or Instant Pot on the saute setting. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and let it warm up for a minute. Add the pork and arrange in a single layer. Let it sear undisturbed until golden brown on the bottom, 3-5 minutes. Flip the pork and cook until the second side is golden brown, 3-5 minutes more.

Add 3 cups chicken broth, 3 cups water, 1⁄4 small white onion, 1 garlic clove and 1 bay leaf to the pot.

Lock the lid and make sure the pressure valve is set to seal. Set to cook for 20 minutes under high pressure. It will take about 10 minutes to come up to pressure.

When the cook time is up, quick release the pressure. Carefully open the pressure cooker.

Transfer the meat to a large bowl with a slotted spoon or tongs (if you accidentally scoop up any pieces of onion, pick them out and throw them away). Fit a fine-mesh strainer over the bowl of meat, then pour the broth through it. Discard the contents of the strainer.

Pour the strained broth and meat back into the pressure cooker. Stir in the hominy (see Alterations). Lock the lid and make sure the pressure valve is set to seal. Set to cook for 10 minutes under high pressure. It will take about 8 minutes to come up to pressure. When the cook time is up, quick release the pressure. Taste and season the pozole with salt and pepper as needed.

Place the pozole in bowls and garnish with the cabbage, lime, radishes. Sprinkle on Mexican oregano and chile powder, as desired, and serve.

Alterations

To make this pozole rojo: Place 4 stemmed and seeded ancho chiles and 2 stemmed and seeded guajillo chiles in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring that to a simmer, remove from the heat and let the chiles soak until tender, 10-15 minutes. Add the chiles and 1 cup of the soaking liquid to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the blended chiles through a fine mesh sieve and add the strained sauce to the Instant Pot along with the hominy.

To make this pozole verde: Place 1 pound of tomatillos in a saucepan with enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the tomatillos until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Place the tomatillos and 1 cup of the cooking liquid in a blender with 2 poblano chiles (seeded and chopped) and 2 jalapeños (seeded and chopped) and blend until smooth. Add the tomatillo/chile sauce to the Instant Pot along with the hominy.