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Chef Aarón Sánchez’s Hominy with Pico de Gallo, Guacamole & Bananas Faustos

June 6, 2021
Food & Drink

Get ready to get cooking! The first (RED) ALL-STAR KITCHEN cook along is coming up on June 16th.

Check out all of the recipes we’ll be making with Anthony Anderson & Chef Aarón Sánchez along with mixologist Charlotte Vosiey and host Billy Harris. Tickets for the interactive event are limited, so if you haven’t snagged a ticket yet, be sure to grab one before they sell out! 100% of proceeds from every ticket sold go to the Global Fund’s COVID Response.

Hominy with Pico de Gallo 

“This is a hearty, rich side dish, and is a great way to use leftover pico de gallo. I originally developed this at Centrico, where I served it with a roasted half chicken. But with its oregano flavor, and its simplicity and versatility, it can go with just about anything. For this recipe, look for canned hominy, which is very easy to find. You want the whole, big kernels; “dry hominy” is split into smaller pieces and doesn’t cook the same way. Just be sure to wash it well after draining the solution in the can.”

Ingredients:

  • 4 heaping cups drained hominy (from about three 15-ounce/440 g cans) 
  • 1 small white onion, finely chopped, divided 
  • 2 medium ripe tomatoes, cored and finely chopped 
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for serving 
  • 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, grated or minced 
  • 1⁄2 cup (20 g) fresh cilantro, chopped 
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice 
  • 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano, divided 
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
  • 2 tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil 
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
  • 4 strips bacon, diced 
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

Directions:

  1. 1. Rinse the hominy well, spread it in a single layer, and blot dry. 
  2. 2. Make the pico de gallo: In a mixing bowl, combine half of the onion with the tomatoes, green onions, pepper, cilantro, lime juice, 1 teaspoon of the dried oregano, and salt. 
  3. 3. Make the hominy: In a large skillet (preferably cast iron), heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Meanwhile, line a plate with paper towels. When the butter stops bubbling, add the bacon and let it render its fat, stirring only occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes. When it gets crispy, use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the lined plate, leaving the fat behind. 
  4. 4. To the pan add the reserved onion and remaining 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Sauté these for about 5 minutes, until the onion is golden and soft. Stir in the fresh oregano and garlic and cook for about a minute before folding in the hominy. Cook for another minute or two, until the hominy browns lightly along the edges, then add the bacon. 
  5. 5. With a slotted spoon, scoop all but 1⁄2 cup (120 g) of the pico de gallo into the pan, allowing excess juice to drain into the bowl. Adjust the heat to medium-high for a minute or two, until the juice reduces. Serve warm, garnished with the remaining pico de gallo and sliced green onions. 

Aarón’s Guacamole: 

Ingredients: 

  • 4 avocados 
  • 1 white onion 
  • 2-3 roma tomatoes 
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro 
  • Juice of 3 limes 
  • 1 Serrano chile 
  • Pinch of sea salt 
  • 1/3 cup Queso Fresco or Queso Cotija 
  • 1 radish, sliced 
  • (Optional) 1/3 cup dried Chapulines 
  • (Mexican grasshoppers), toasted with a bit of chili powder, lime juice, and salt 

Directions:

  1. 1. Create a flavor base blending the serrano chile, cut in chunks and keeping the seeds, into a paste. Mix with 1/2 of the onion, a generous heap of cilantro and the lime juice. 
  2. 2. Cut the avocados in half and remove the seeds. Place in a bowl. 
  3. 3. Season the avocados with salt and oregano, and then mash them all together. Do not mash too smooth. 
  4. 4. Flavor the guacamole with the serrano purée to taste. 
  5. 5. Add finely chopped onion and tomatoes to the guacamole and combine. Season to taste with more salt. 
  6. 6. Serve with a pinch of queso fresco or queso cotija and sliced radishes. 
  7. For authentic Mexican flavor try adding a spoonful of dried Chapulines. 

Bananas Faustos 

Serves 4 

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons Dulce de Leche (store purchased or make-your own, recipe below) 
  • 3 bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise, then crosswise 
  • 1⁄4 cup spiced rum 
  • Vanilla ice cream (optional) 
  • Fresh mint leaves and confectioners’ sugar (optional), for garnish 

Directions:

  1. 1. Melt the butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the Dulce de Leche and mix with a heatproof rubber spatula until they’re well combined.
  2. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. 
  3. 2. Add the banana slices, stir to coat them, and cook for 3 minutes more. 
  4. 3. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the rum, and return the pan to the heat. Cook for 2 more minutes, stirring well to coat the bananas with the sauce. 
  5. 4. Transfer the bananas and sauce to plates or spoon them over vanilla ice cream. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and confectioners’ sugar, if desired. 

Dulce de Leche: 

Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients:

  • Two 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

  1. 1. Pour the milk into the top of a double broiler and put it over a pot of barely simmering water. Keep the water gently simmering for 2 hours, adding more hot water as the water evaporates. You don’t have to start stirring until the milk begins to thicken, but once it does, after about 30 minutes, stir ever 15 minutes or so. After 2 hours (if you want it even darker and funkier, keep cooking for another hour!), the milk will be all oozy and golden brown. 
  2. 2. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month. 

Freshest Margarita: 

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz Milagro Tequila 
  • 1 whole lime—to be cut in half and juiced fresh 
  • 3/4 oz agave nectar 
  • Sea salt 

Directions:

  1. 1. Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker 
  2. 2. Add ice and shake well 
  3. 3. Strain over fresh ice in an Old-Fashioned glass
  4. 4. Garnish with a lime wheel and pinch of sea salt