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Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 180 Minutes |
Ready In: 200 Minutes Servings: 5 |
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These are a great side, but I also love to just scoop some up in a warm tortilla as a meal. Found in the Chicago Tribune, with some modifications. I usually make this without the chili powder. Cooking time does not include soaking beans. Ingredients:
1 lb pinto beans |
1 (12 ounce) bottle beer |
1/2 lb thick slab bacon, cut into 1 in. cubes or 1 lb ham hock |
1 medium onion, chopped |
1/2 sweet bell pepper, seeded and diced |
2 garlic cloves, minced |
1 (16 ounce) canned whole tomatoes, cut up, with juice |
1 jalapeno, sliced |
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder |
1/2 teaspoon black pepper |
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes |
salt, to taste, after beans are cooked |
Directions:
1. Soak the beans overnight in lots of cold water. (Most recently, I have been using the Cook's Illustrated recommended method, soaking the beans in 4 qts water mixed with 3 tbl. table salt). Drain off the soaking water and rinse.
2. Put beans in a very large pot. Pour in the beer and enough fresh water to come up 2 inches over the beans. Add remaining ingredients except salt. Cover, heat to a boil, reduce heat to very low - just enough to bubble the liquid a little. Simmer until beans are tender, 2 to 3 hours.
3. If using ham hocks, remove, discard bones, chop and return to pot. Add salt to taste.
4. Note1: I've noted the comment regarding the time - I made this again, and it took me just under two hours to get to tender beans. It is important to soak the beans well, and older beans may take longer. The beans should be tender but whole - they should not start breaking down.
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