UPDATED FEBRUARY 2023 :: In this Quick Pork Tenderloin Pozole Verde recipe lie what I’m pretty sure are all the secrets to killing the weeknight dinner game. Firstly, it’s incredibly fast to make. It takes just a handful of simple ingredients, really. It’s so incredibly flavorful that it almost seems like more went on behind the scenes than was actually the case. WE LOVE THIS.

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That is sort of a hallmark of My Kitchen Little recipes: when the final dish is greater than the sum of its parts. This quick pork tenderloin pozole verde beautifully exemplifies that concept, and then some.

What you’ll need to make this Pork Tenderloin Pozole

This is a simple, stripped down stew. It’s built on humble yet hugely flavorful things that all sing together so beautifully in what has got to be of my my all-time favorite bowls of soup/stew. The trick with this recipe is definitely the salsa verde. It lends a ton of flavor and brightness to the dish, saving us some work (a true MKL minimalist cooking hack).

Just be aware of the salt content in your stew as you’re making it. Any store-bought salsa verde is going to be pretty salty. So, it can probably season the whole stew on its own, without having to add any additional salt. A low-sodium chicken stock will also help you control the saltiness here.

INGREDIENTS

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 1.5 pounds pork tenderloin, sliced into thin medallions
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
Two, 15-ounce cans hominy (white or yellow or both), drained
16-ounce jar of salsa verde
2 tablespoons honey
3 cups low sodium chicken stock (24-oz.)

Suggested Toppings: Radishes, tortilla chips, cotija or feta cheese, sliced avocado, Sour Cream, Tajin seasoning

For this recipe you will also need:

A great deep-sided pan (this is the one I use here, and it’s a total go-to of mine)

Hominy

Tajin (a delicious, limey Mexican seasoning blend that really goes well on/in almost everything; it’s optional in this recipe)

What is Pozole?

Born of Mexican invention, Pozole is a light, broth stew made from simmered meat (usually chicken or pork) stock of one sort or another, aromatic vegetables, often blistered spicy green peppers (poblano, Serrano, jalapeno, etc.) and ** this part is essential ** hominy.

Hominy is made from dried maize (corn) kernels that have been treated with an alkali, lye, in a process called nixtamalization. They are available at every supermarket or grocery store, typically right where you find canned corn or in the Mexican foods section. You will usually see both white and golden hominy available, and you can use either variety in this recipe – or mix them together.

How to Make a Quick-Fix Pork Tenderloin Pozole

In our recipe today, we’ll take a little help from a large jar of store-bought salsa verde, which adds incredible flavor to the Posole’ and keeps us from having to roast/char fresh tomatillos and peppers. There’s garlic and aromatics already in a salsa verde, and it adds great moisture to the stew as well, so it’s a very clutch not-so-seceret ingredient.

I like to use pork tenderloin in this recipe because it’s widely available and always winds up hugely flavorful and tender. Also, it cooks fast, which we love right? We’ll slice up our pork tenderloin and sear the pieces until nice and brown – make sure to season them well. If you have a pork tenderloin that happens to be pre-seasoned, don’t add any more salt, and just watch your salt throughout the whole cooking process, or it could get too salty.

A great lesson found in this recipe, is the technique of thickening a soup/stew with itself. We’ll ladle some of the simmered stew into a food processor and whirl it up until smooth. By pouring that back into the pot, we’re able to add some body to the stew without having to use any actual thickening ingredients (flour slurry, for example).

This recipe is honestly wonderful in many ways and it’s one I’ve genuinely made for over a decade. I hope it becomes one of your go-tos as well.

DIRECTIONS

Add a couple/few tablespoons of olive oil to a large, deep-sided pan set over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, add the pork to the pan and cook on one side until very brown ; about 4 to 5 minutes. Toss/stir and cook for another minute or so, to lightly sear the other side(s). Transfer to a plate/tray and set aside for now.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cumin, and cook for a few minutes until tender.
Add the garlic and cook for one minute, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn. Add the hominy, salsa verde, honey, and about 3 cups of stock.
Add the pork back into the pot, along with the juices, and simmer (uncovered is fine) for about 20 minutes. Serve in bowls with sliced avocado, sour cream, radishes and crunchy chips, if desired.