Leftover Pork Pozole Rice Bowl

Is there anything better than preparing a hearty meal of comfort food? Maybe a meal of comfort food that provides versatile leftovers for quick meals later in the week? This Leftover Pork Pozole Rice Bowl recipe is the result of leftover pork roast and a craving for Mexican food! Here’s how it came into existence.

inspired by a craving

Pork roast with potatoes and carrots and, dare I say, gravy is high on my list of comfort meals. I always … always buy a bigger roast than needed for one meal because the extra meat will quickly turn into barbecue pulled-pork sandwiches or, my childhood favorite, “salt and pepper sandwiches” (sliced pork roast on buttered bread or buns, sprinkled with salt and pepper). Following one such pork roast meal, I just couldn’t grab that bottle of barbecue sauce. My stomach was begging for Mexican. A more complicated recipe from a magazine came to mind and, after reviewing it and making some substitutions, this recipe was born and has made regular appearances at our table ever since.

Pozole? Hominy?

When you hear pozole, think soup or stew. While this dish lacks the broth or liquid of traditional pozole, the hominy is the one ingredient required to make pozole. In fact, pozole means hominy.

I like the word pozole … can you tell? It’s fun to say. Try it: pah-zoh-lay

Hominy is made from dried maize/corn kernels that have been soaked and cooked in a lye or lime solution to loosen the hull from the kernels. This process also causes the kernels to double in size. Hominy tastes like corn but with the texture of a potato. Want to learn more? Check out this article from The Spruce Eats.

NOTE: You can find hominy in the grocery store either with the canned vegetables or with the salsas and tortillas. Make sure to rinse the hominy under cold water before adding to your recipes unless otherwise stated. It can also be purchased dried like lentils and beans. I haven’t tried this yet but my Instant Pot is up for the challenge.

leftover pork – pozole – rice – bowl

Simple, plain white rice is the perfect base for this dish. A squeeze of lime juice and sprinkle of cilantro over the rice is all the extra flavor it needs.

You might want to add some pickled vegetables like the carrots, onions and radishes in the picture or these Pickled Mexican Vegetables.

Bowl? As mentioned earlier, this is not a soup or a stew so use a bowl, use a plate, or eat it straight out of the pan … it’s up to you!! Add a scrambled egg to it and eat it for breakfast.

Speaking of … I hope we have eggs in the fridge. I think that’s going to be breakfast tomorrow!

Leftover Pork Pozole Bowl

Give leftover pork roast a complete makeover with this pozole-style rice bowl recipe. Salsa verde and hominy convert the pork's flavor and texture into a quick and satisfying Mexican meal!

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 8 mins

Total Time 43 mins

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  

• 3-4 cups leftover, shredded pork roast
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano crushed
• 16 ounces tomatillo salsa or salsa verde
• 15 ounce can hominy rinsed and drained
• fresh cilantro or chopped green onions
• Fresh Lime Wedges
• Fresh Jalapeno Slices optional
• pickled or fresh radishes optional
• sour cream optional
• 3-4 cups prepared white rice

Instructions

 

• Remove leftover shredded pork from refrigerator and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic, cumin and Mexican oregano, stirring to heat through and flavor the oil.
• Add the pork, tomatillo salsa, and hominy, gently stirring until hot.
• Serve over rice and squeeze fresh lime juice over the top. Garnish with additional lime wedges, cilantro or green onions, jalapeño slices and sour cream, according to personal preferences.

Keyword bowl, cilantro, hominy, leftovers, pork, recipe, rice, salsa verde, simple