Join me for a simple twist on the classic Pozole, infused with Traeger magic. We’re smoking pork butt in HeadCountry’s new Smoky Ancho Citrus BBQ sauce, creating a flavorful Pozole that’s easy to make and so delicious to eat.

Finished bowl of pork Chile verde pozole. — Top pozole with traditional or unexpected toppings

SMOKY PORK POZOLE

Hey Traeger fans! As a dad, teacher, and lover of simple cooking in Colorado, I’m excited to share an easy journey into some authentic Mexican flavors with a Traeger twist. Let’s whip up a Smoky Pork Pozole with the goodness of Traeger and the boldness of HeadCountry’s Smoky Ancho Citrus BBQ sauce.

We’re turning a whole pork butt into bite-sized cubes and then marinating them in Head Country’s new Smoky Ancho Citrus BBQ sauce before they hit the Traeger. Once the pork cubes are adequately smoked, they are paired with a vibrant homemade salsa verde, making this Pozole is a celebration of flavor made simple.

START WITH A WHOLE PORK BUTT

Start with a whole bone-in pork butt and pull out a big sharp knife. We used about 2/3 of a standard sized pork butt for this recipe– saving the rest for something later. The pork was cut off the bone, and then cut into about 1″ cubes. They didn’t all quite come out uniform, but that’s part of the joy of cooking at home for family and friends.

GIVE IT A FLAVORFUL MARINADE

One of the keys to this incredibly flavorful pork pozole on the Traeger is the way we marinade the pork before smoking it. The new Smoky Ancho Citrus BBQ sauce from HeadCountry is the perfect way to do it. With bold flavors of smoky ancho chiles and loads of citrus throughout, this sauce is amazing as a topper but even more amazing as a starting point for flavor. The citrus in the sauce helps to break down the pork a bit, resulting is super tender pieces that pick up flavor every step of the way.

Pork butt cubed up and marinated in Head Country Mexican BBQ sauce. — Marinate the meat in the BBQ sauce

SMOKE FOR MORE FLAVOR

Stop #2 on the flavor train for this pozole recipe is the Traeger grill. After the pork cubes had marinated about an hour or more, we placed them on the grates of a Traeger grill, heated to 225* with the super smoke feature enabled. We smoked the pork for about an hour, with the goal of developing a nice bark on the meat and a base of smoky flavor. Because of the size of the pork pieces, about an hour is all it needs to pick up maximum Traeger flavor.

Chunks of pork smoking on the Traeger grill. — Once marinated, smoke the pork

CREATE A SALSA VERDE

While the meat smoked, we got the ingredients ready for the salsa verde that is another element of major flavor in this recipe. Tomatillos, onions, a variety of peppers and garlic were all smoked on the grill until tender and soft. Then we tossed them in a blender with a big handful of fresh cilantro and gave the whole thing a whirl. We stirred in some fresh lime juice, salt and seasoning and had the perfect ingredient for this pozole verde.

It’s easy to buy salsa verde to use in this recipe, but in reality it’s only slightly more time-consuming to make it yourself and the flavor is worth it.

INTO A POT FOR A LONG SIMMER

Once the pork was marinated and smoked and the salsa verde was ready, we were ready for the next step in creating a smoky pork pozole. Into a big cast iron dutch oven went the smoked pork cubes, all of the salsa verde, a bunch of beef broth and a splash of water. You want the pork to be fully submerged and the sauce to be fairly thin. Remember, this is ultimately a soup!

We put the dutch oven on the induction burner of our Traeger grill, set at medium-low, and covered with a lid. This simmered for the better part of an afternoon– making the whole neighborhood smell amazing. After about 4 hours, the pork was very tender, the flavors had melded incredibly well and we were just about ready to eat. ‘

Smoked pork cubes in a dutch oven for braising. — Add liquid to cover the pork

A dutch oven simmering with pozole verde. — Add liquid to cover the pork

ADD THE HOMINY AT THE END

About 20 minutes before serving, we stirred in a whole can, drained and rinsed, of hominy, into the soup. Hominy, for those who don’t know, is a food made from dried corn kernels that have undergone a process called nixtamalization. During this traditional Mesoamerican method, the corn is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, usually lime, which removes the outer hull and germ of the kernel and causes the grain to swell. This process not only enhances the nutritional value of the corn by making certain nutrients more bioavailable but also imparts a distinctive flavor and texture to the hominy. The resulting product can be further processed into various forms, such as whole hominy or ground into masa, a dough used in the preparation of dishes like tamales and tortillas.

Hominy in this application is so delicious– chewy, full of flavor and a great addition to soup or stew.

GARNISH AND SERVE

We can’t forget that we started this pork pozole recipe inspired by HeadCountry’s new Smoky Ancho Citrus BBQ sauce. It was the perfect marinade for the pork in this dish– and is the perfect final flash in serving this soup. We ladled big servings of our Traeger cooked pork pozole into wide soup bowls and garnished them with some traditional favorites. Thinly sliced cabbage and radishes, a handful of fresh cilantro sprigs, slices of avocado and a drizzle of the Smoky Ancho Citrus BBQ sauce made for an incredible finished dish. This pozole was a big hit for our entire family– from the precocious toddlers who like to try most foods to my parents who have had lots of traditional pozole over the years.

INSPIRED BY AUTHENTIC POZOLE

While I was definitey inspired by traditional pozole in making this dish, of course my version is a riff on tradition with lots of Traeger influences and bold flavors. The homemade salsa verde really added a bright punch to the dish, which was full of flavor and just enough spice for everyone to enjoy.

PRIMARY INGREDIENTS

HeadCountry’s Smoky Ancho Citrus BBQ sauce
Bone-in pork butt
Tomatillos
White onion
Hatch chiles
Poblano chiles
Jalapenos
Garlic
Cilantro
Limes
Salt
Beef broth
Hominy
Garnishes: radishes, cabbage, cilantro, avocado

WHY SMOKING PORK POZOLE ON THE TRAEGER WORKS

Smoking the pork at 225°F infuses a rich, smoky flavor, enhanced by the boldness of HeadCountry’s Smoky Ancho Citrus BBQ sauce, creating a Pozole that’s a true taste sensation. The excellent bark paired with the smoky flavor gave this pork pozole recipe a perfect flavorful start.

Peppers, onions and tomatillos on the grill for salsa verde. — Char the vegetables for the sauce

STEP-BY-STEP

Unwrap the pork butt and place it on a cutting board.
Using a sharp knife, cut the pork away from the bone.
Then cube the meat into 1″ pieces.
In a bowl or pan, combine the meat and HeadCountry Smoky Ancho Citrus BBQ sauce.
Turn to coat, cover the pan and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat your Traeger grill to 225* with the super smoke feature enabled.
Place the pork pieces on the grill grates and close the lid.
Allow the pork to smoke for about 1 hour, until the bark has developed well.
Remove the pork from the grill.
Turn up the grill heat to 350* and place the onion, tomatillos and chiles in the grill.
Close the lid and allow to cook for 15 minutes until soft.
In a blender, combine the onion, tomatillos, chiles (with skins and stems and seeds removed).
Add the garlic and cilantro and blend well until nearly smooth.
Season to taste with salt and adjust the jalapeño as needed for the salsa verde.
In a big dutch oven pot, add the pork pieces and the prepared salsa verde.
Add beef broth and water to cover the meat.
Put a lid on the pan and put it over medium-low heat on the stove or an induction burner.
Simmer the pork pozole for about 4 hours, until the meat is tender and the flavors have developed.
Adjust seasoning as you like.
Rinse a can of hominy in a colander until the water runs clear.
Stir in the hominy to the soup and continue cooking for about 20 minutes.
To serve, ladle the pork pozole into soup bowls.
Then garnish with thinly sliced cabbage, radishes, cilantro sprigs and sliced avocado.
Finish with a drizzle of Smoky Ancho Citrus BBQ sauce and serve your pork pozole hot.

A finished bowl of pozole verde on a blue placemat. — Drizzle the finished dish with more sauce

OTHER RECIPES TO TRY

Here are some other recipes to try:

PRODUCTS USED IN THIS COOK

HeadCountry’s Smoky Ancho Citrus BBQ sauce (LINK)

Experience the joy of Traeger cooking with this Easy Pork Pozole. Keep it simple, savor the Mexican-inspired flavors, and create a family meal that’s both comforting and delicious.