
Chef Dean
Amish Buttered Egg Noodles
The humblest side dish in the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition, where wide egg noodles and good butter need nothing more than salt and a warm bowl to become the thing everyone remembers from the church supper.
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Plump hominy kernels braised in smoky bacon fat with roasted Hatch chiles, cumin, and a bright hit of lime. This is the side dish that disappears first at every potluck, the one neighbors ask you to bring again and again.
The chile peppers of the American Southwest tell a story of adaptation. Spanish settlers brought seeds north from Mexico. The high desert sun, cool nights, and alkaline soil of Colorado and New Mexico transformed those peppers into something distinct: the Hatch chile, the Pueblo chile, varieties that carry a sweetness and complexity you won't find anywhere else.
This dish honors that heritage. Hominy, the ancient nixtamalized corn of Mesoamerica, pairs with those roasted green chiles in a combination that feels inevitable once you taste it. The Puebloans knew this. The ranchers knew this. Your grandmother, if she cooked in the Southwest, almost certainly knew this.
I've eaten versions of this dish at church suppers in Trinidad, at ranch cookouts outside Pueblo, at tailgates in Denver where it held its own against brisket and ribs. It travels beautifully. It reheats without complaint. It sits on a buffet table for hours and only improves as the flavors meld. This is food built for community.
Quantity
4 slices
cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Quantity
1 medium
diced
Quantity
4 cloves
minced
Quantity
2 cans (15 ounces each)
drained and rinsed
Quantity
1 can (4 ounces) diced, or 4 fresh Hatch chiles
roasted, peeled, and chopped
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
Quantity
1 cup
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground
Quantity
2 tablespoons
roughly chopped
Quantity
1 tablespoon
Quantity
1
thinly sliced
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| thick-cut baconcut into 1/2-inch pieces | 4 slices |
| yellow oniondiced | 1 medium |
| garlicminced | 4 cloves |
| white or golden hominydrained and rinsed | 2 cans (15 ounces each) |
| roasted green chilesroasted, peeled, and chopped | 1 can (4 ounces) diced, or 4 fresh Hatch chiles |
| ground cumin | 1 teaspoon |
| dried Mexican oregano | 1/2 teaspoon |
| low-sodium chicken broth | 1 cup |
| kosher salt | 1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste |
| black pepperfreshly ground | 1/4 teaspoon |
| fresh cilantroroughly chopped | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh lime juice | 1 tablespoon |
| jalapeño (optional)thinly sliced | 1 |
Set a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the meat crisps at the edges, about 6 to 8 minutes. The bacon should be deeply golden but still have some chew. Listen for the sizzle to mellow from aggressive to gentle. That's your cue.
Add the diced onion to the bacon fat, stirring to coat. Cook until the onion turns translucent and picks up golden color at the edges, about 4 minutes. The onion will absorb the smoky bacon flavor. Add the minced garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Garlic burns quickly in hot fat. Keep it moving.
Sprinkle the cumin and oregano over the onion mixture. Stir for 30 seconds to toast the spices in the fat. You'll smell the cumin bloom, shifting from dusty to warm and earthy. This brief toasting unlocks flavors that raw spices simply cannot deliver.
Add the drained hominy and green chiles to the skillet. Toss everything together until the kernels glisten with the spiced bacon fat. The hominy should be evenly distributed with the chiles and aromatics. Let it sit undisturbed for a minute or two to develop a slight golden crust on the bottom kernels.
Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Those fond bits are pure flavor. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the hominy is tender with a slight chew. The dish should be moist but not soupy.
Remove from heat. Stir in the fresh cilantro and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. The lime should brighten everything without announcing itself. Transfer to a warm serving bowl or bring the skillet directly to the table. Scatter jalapeño slices over the top if you want more heat. Serve immediately while the hominy still glistens.
1 serving (about 210g)
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