Name: Pork Pozole Soup with Asian Slaw
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT1H15M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT3H0M0.000S
Yield: 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients: 4 cups shredded green cabbage; 4 cups shredded red cabbage; 4 cups shredded carrots; 1 cup white vinegar; 1/4 cup sugar; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 4 teaspoons vegetable oil; 8 tomatillos, quartered; 8 tomatoes, quartered; 3 pounds pork bones; 2 onions, chopped; 1 cup garlic cloves, peeled; 30 dried guajillo peppers, stemmed; 20 dried pasilla peppers, stemmed; 15 dried chile de arbol; 12 dried Japanese chile peppers; 1 cup chicken bouillon; 1/4 cup dried oregano; 1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander; 1 tablespoon peppercorn blend; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 4 bay leaves; 4 Sri Lankan lime leaves; 2 stalks lemongrass; 1 can hominy; 12 ounces Soy Marinated Pork Carnitas, recipe follows; 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Directions

For the Asian slaw: Add the green and red cabbage, carrots, vinegar, sugar, oil, salt and pepper and lightly toss, making sure the sugar and vinegar are evenly mixed together. Set aside to garnish the soup later.
For the pozole chili broth: Heat flat top on medium-high heat; add 2 teaspoons of the oil. Place the tomatillos and tomatoes skin-side down and cook undisturbed until the skin is slightly charred, 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside until ready to start the broth.
Rinse the pork pones in the sink to wash off any excess blood and set aside until ready to start the broth.
Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat; add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Add the pork bones, onions and garlic and let brown for 1 to 2 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and tomatillos. Fill the pot halfway with water. Add the dried chiles, bouillon, oregano, coriander, peppercorns, salt and cumin, Add 4 quarts of water to the pot (or until full), making sure all the peppers are submerged in the water. Cover with a lid and simmer over low-medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes; the dried chiles should be rehydrated. Pull out the pork bones and set aside to use again in the final broth.
Using a soup ladle, scoop the broth and vegetables into a blender. Start at low speed and then increase to medium speed to gradually puree. Continue in batches until the pot is empty. Keep the pureed broth in a separate container. Use a medium-mesh sieve to strain the puree into a separate soup pot, then add 4 quarts of water. Add the pork bones back into the pot with the bay leaves, lime leaves and lemongrass. Let it simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour.
Strain the hominy from the can. Scoop 1/4 cup of hominy into a round soup bowl. Top with Asian slaw, soy marinated pork carnitas and then pour 2 cups of the soup broth over the meat and vegetables. Garnish with chopped cilantro, green onions and 6 tortilla chips.

Soy Marinated Pork Carnitas:

Yield: 12 to 18 servings.

Combine the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, oyster sauce, mushroom soy, green onions, star anise, cloves, peppercorn blend, cinnamon sticks and ginger slices in an 18-quart container. With a large whisk, mix the ingredients together. Make sure all the sugar at the bottom is properly stirred into the liquid. Gradually pour the water into the container and continue to stir.
Cut the pork butt in 2-inch square pieces. Trim all the hard fat off and leave about a quarter of the soft fat on the meat. Set the pork in a deep cooking pan, and, using a ladle, pour the soy marinade mix over the meat, make sure all the meat is covered in the liquid. (Any extra soy-ginger marinade can be put away and used again on a later date.) Add the dried black mushroom and bay leaves to the liquid, spreading them evenly throughout the pan. Tightly wrap the pan with heavy-duty foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make sure the foil is tightly sealed around the pan and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 3 hours. Take the pan out of the oven and remove the foil. With a fork and tongs pull at the pork. It should easily tear off to assure it's fully cooked.

Cook’s Note

Use a medium-mesh sieve for straining the puree base. If a fine sieve were to be used instead, the soup would be watery because the tomato and tomatillo pulp would remain behind in the sieve. When cutting the pork butt, the size can vary. It does not have to be exactly 2 inches. But make sure the cuts are all about the same size so the pork meat can evenly cook in the oven.