Toast and Soak the Chiles Remove the stems from your ancho and guajillo chiles. Shake or scrape out most of the seeds. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Lay the chiles in the skillet and toast for about 20–30 seconds per side, just until fragrant. They should soften slightly and darken a bit, but not burn. Transfer the chiles to a bowl. Cover with very hot or boiling water. Press them down so they’re fully submerged. Let them soak for 20–30 minutes, until they’re completely soft. This step deepens the flavor and wakes the chiles back up. Burned chiles taste bitter, so if any get too dark, toss them and toast new ones.

Blend the Red Chile Sauce Add the softened chiles to a blender with: 1–2 cups of their soaking liquid The chopped onion The peeled garlic cloves A pinch of salt Blend until very smooth. If it’s too thick to pour, add a bit more soaking liquid. Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl or measuring jug and pour the blender mixture through. Use a spoon or spatula to press the sauce through the strainer. Discard the skins and seeds left behind. You’ll end up with a glossy, brick-red sauce that smells amazing and looks like something from a restaurant kitchen.

Season and Brown the Pork Pat the pork shoulder dry and cut it into large chunks, about 1.5–2 inches each. Season the pieces with salt, pepper, and a spoonful of dried oregano. Heat a little oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the pork in batches, without crowding the pan, for 2–3 minutes per side until lightly golden. Transfer the browned pork to the slow cooker. You can skip browning if you’re in a big rush, but that extra color on the meat adds a lot of flavor to the final bowl.

Build the Pozole in the Slow Cooker Add the drained and rinsed hominy to the slow cooker. Sprinkle in ground cumin, a bit more dried oregano, and tuck in the bay leaves. Pour in the strained red chile sauce. Add enough chicken broth to cover everything by about an inch—usually 6–8 cups, depending on pot size. Stir gently to combine. At this point, the slow cooker looks like a big red stew-in-progress, and you’re basically done with the hard work.

Let It Cook Low and Slow Cover the slow cooker and cook: On LOW for 6–8 hours, or On HIGH for 4–5 hours The pork is ready when it pulls apart easily with a fork and feels very tender. This is the part where you go live your life: work, school run, gym, scrolling Instagram—whatever your evening looks like.

Finish, Taste, and Garnish Once the pork is tender, skim off any excess fat from the top if there’s a lot. Use tongs or a large spoon to shred the pork right in the slow cooker. Discard big fatty pieces if you see them. Squeeze in the juice of 1–2 limes and stir. Taste the broth. Adjust with more salt, pepper, or a little extra lime. If you want more heat, add a pinch of chili powder or your favorite hot sauce. Serve the pozole in deep bowls and top generously with cabbage, radishes, onion, cilantro, avocado, and extra lime wedges. Take a second to actually smell the bowl before you eat. That mix of chile, lime, pork, and corn is something special.