Arepas de Maiz Peto (Hominy Arepas) Recipe

Rinse the hominy and place it in a bowl. Cover it with water and let it soak overnight.

In the morning, drain the hominy and place it in a heavy saucepan. Add 3 to 4 cups fresh water and 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to a simmer. Cook at a gentle simmer, covered, stirring from time to time, until corn is soft and chewy, about the texture of steel cut oatmeal. Add more water if needed to prevent corn from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Once most of the water is absorbed and corn is soft enough, remove from pan (drain any excess water) and place in a food procesor. Add butter and 1/2 cup milk, and process with short quick pulses until you obtain a sort of dough. The mixture should clump together and you should be able to form balls of dough with your hands. If the dough cracks when you try to flatten the dough into a disk, add more milk to the mixture.

Shape the dough into flat disks, about 3 inches in diameter and about 1/2 inch thick.

Rub a small amount of vegetable oil onto a heavy skillet (cast iron is good) and heat over medium-low heat. Cook arepas in batches, turning after about 5 minutes, until both sides are browned and slightly crispy.

Serve warm. If you have extras, save shaped, uncooked arepas for the next day by wrapping them in plastic wrap and storing them in the refrigerator until ready to cook them. (Arepas taste best fresh off of the griddle.