Southern Hominy

Yield: 2 main dishes, 4-6 side dishes See also Cajun Hominy

Ingredients

1/2 pound bacon strips, cut in 1” pieces

1 cup chopped onion

2 cups (approximately 1 pound 13 ounces canned) hominy

½ cup red bell pepper cut into thin, matchstick-size slices

Salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon peanut oil

Steps

1. Drain and rinse hominy in a colander.
2. Line a tray with a clean flour sack towel.
3. Place as a single layer on a towel and allow to dry while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
4. Heat a medium-sized cast iron skillet over medium heat.
5. Add bacon, piece by piece, until a single layer is formed in the bottom of the skillet.
6. Fry bacon until crisp. Remove pieces to a bowl when they are crisped.
7. Repeat process until all of the bacon is crisp.
8. Reserve bacon fat in a small bowl.
9. Measure 1 tablespoon fat or peanut oil (if preferred) back into the skillet.
10. When hot, add onions. Sprinkle onions with salt. Saute until translucent.
11. Add red bell pepper and saute 3 minutes.
12. Add onions and red bell pepper to bowl of bacon.
13. Turn heat to medium high.
14. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to skillet. When it shimmers, add hominy to skillet.
15. Stir to coat hominy with oil. Sprinkle with pepper.
16. Cover skillet with lid.
17. Fry until the hominy starts to “pop” with some regularity in the pan, stirring occasionally. The hominy will form a slight crust.
18. Add bacon, onion, and red bell pepper. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Heat through.
19. Place in a serving bowl.
20. Serve.