First, gather all the ingredients for the pozole. Start by rinsing the hominy. This recipe uses precooked hominy, but you can use dried hominy if you prefer—just soak it in water with lime and remove the tips before cooking.

In a large pot, cook the hominy with half an onion and a whole head of garlic. For 3 1/3 pounds of hominy, use about 16 quarts (15 liters) of water. It's best to cook the hominy without salt.

Before the water comes to a boil, add the pork bones and pork meat. Simmer for 2 hours, skimming off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface. After 2 hours, check the meat; when it's tender, remove it from the broth and leave only the bones to cook for another 4 hours. Pozole is cooked slowly over low heat.

Let the meat cool slightly, then shred it while it's still warm. Set it aside for serving. If you prefer, you can leave the meat in chunks instead of shredding.

In a separate pot, cover the seeded and deveined chiles with water and cook them with half an onion and 3 cloves of garlic. Blend the chiles with a little of the cooking water to make a thick sauce.

Remove the pork bones, onion, and garlic head from the broth, then add the strained chile sauce.

Grind the cumin and add it along with the shredded meat to the pozole. Season with salt and let it simmer for 15 more minutes. The broth should have a light, slightly thick consistency. Alternatively, you can tie the spices in a piece of cheesecloth and place it in the broth to make it easier to remove them before serving.

Cut the romaine lettuce into thin strips (julienne), dice the onion, and slice the radishes. Set these aside for garnishing the pozole when serving.