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.
Culinary Explorer
A cooking platform built around craft, culture, and the stories behind what we eat.
Colorado Green Chile Hominy
Created by
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.
Side Dishes
American
Comfort Food
Weeknight
Potluck
15 min
Active Time
25 min cook•40 min total
Yield6 servings
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.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
thick-cut bacon
Quantity
4 slices
cut into 1/2-inch pieces
yellow onion
Quantity
1 medium
diced
garlic
Quantity
4 cloves
minced
white or golden hominy
Quantity
2 cans (15 ounces each)
drained and rinsed
roasted green chiles
Quantity
1 can (4 ounces) diced, or 4 fresh Hatch chiles
roasted, peeled, and chopped
ground cumin
Quantity
1 teaspoon
dried Mexican oregano
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
low-sodium chicken broth
Quantity
1 cup
kosher salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste
black pepper
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground
fresh cilantro
Quantity
2 tablespoons
roughly chopped
fresh lime juice
Quantity
1 tablespoon
jalapeño (optional)
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 |
Equipment Needed
- •Large skillet or Dutch oven (12-inch)
- •Wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula
Instructions
- 1
Render the bacon
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.
Don't rush this step. Low and slow rendering creates more flavorful fat for building the dish. - 2
Soften the aromatics
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.
- 3
Toast the spices
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.
- 4
Add hominy and chiles
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.
If using fresh Hatch chiles, add them here. Canned chiles are already cooked and tender. Fresh chiles need the braising time. - 5
Braise until tender
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.
- 6
Finish and serve
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.
Chef Tips
- •Seek out Hatch or Pueblo green chiles if you can find them. Late August through September, they appear at farmers' markets and grocery stores throughout the Southwest. Buy a case, roast them on your grill, and freeze for the year. Nothing compares to fresh-roasted.
- •Canned hominy works beautifully here. Look for Goya or Bush's brands. Golden hominy has a slightly sweeter, more corn-forward flavor than white, but either serves the dish well.
- •For a vegetarian version, substitute two tablespoons of butter and a teaspoon of smoked paprika for the bacon. You'll lose the porky depth but gain a cleaner chile flavor.
- •This dish pairs magnificently with grilled steak, roasted chicken, or simple pinto beans. It also makes an unexpected breakfast hash. Top it with a fried egg and you've got something worth waking up for.
Advance Preparation
- •The complete dish can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water or broth to restore moisture.
- •If transporting to a potluck, keep warm in a slow cooker on the 'warm' setting for up to 2 hours. Add fresh cilantro and lime just before serving.
- •Roasted green chiles freeze beautifully for up to 6 months. Roast a case in late summer and portion into freezer bags for year-round access to that Southwestern flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 210g)
Calories
145 calories
Total Fat
6 g
Saturated Fat
2 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
3 g
Cholesterol
8 mg
Sodium
155 mg
Total Carbohydrates
17 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
6 g
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