Anasazi & Pinto Beans with Hominy & Green

Anasazi and pinto beans with hominy and green chile is a deeply rooted Southwestern dish that leans on three pantry workhorses: heritage pinto beans, speckled red-and-white anasazis, and tender white hominy. The beans go in for an overnight soak, then simmer slow with just water and a teaspoon of salt for two and a half hours until they’re creamy but still hold their shape. The hominy joins for a final hour, soaking up bean liquor and turning into the soft, chewy backbone of the pot.

The roasted Anaheim chiles are doing the flavor work. Char them under a broiler or directly on a gas burner until the skins blister black, steam them in a paper bag, then peel, seed, and dice. Showered over the bowls at the table, they bring smoke, mild heat, and that unmistakable green-chile perfume that defines New Mexican cooking. Plain enough to serve as a side, hearty enough to be supper with warm tortillas.

Kitchen Tips

• Salt early. The old wisdom about salt toughening bean skins doesn’t really hold. A teaspoon at the start seasons the beans through.
• Keep the simmer gentle. A hard boil bursts the beans and turns the pot starchy.
• Add hot water as the level drops. Cold water shocks the beans and slows the cook.
• Roast the chiles ahead and freeze in batches. New Mexico cooks lay in a year’s supply during August harvest season.

Variations

• Stir in a smoked ham hock or a square of bacon during the bean simmer for a meatier pot.
• Use posole-style nixtamalized hominy for an even chewier, more traditional bite.
• Top with crumbled queso fresco, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime for a brighter finish.