Southern Pinto Beans
The best pinto beans I've ever tasted came from my grandmother's kitchen. Made right, this affordable little jewel of the South should simmer low and slow all day long, filling up your house with a savory smokey bacony goodness. It doesn't really get much easier than a pot of beans on the stove, and there's a ton of things you can add or leave out... try it, and let me know what you think! I usually make my beans with a ham hock, but I don't always have one. When I don't, I use bacon, or even sliced ham. Now, here in the south, there's one thing we've got to get straight about our bean making. Soaking and sorting is a must. ALWAYS. Soaking helps the beans cook more evenly, it makes them easier to digest, and adding salt to the soak even helps break down the skin.
Equipment
- 10 Quart Stock Pot
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Dried Pinto Beans - washed, sorted, and soaked overnight
- 1 Large White Onion
- 1 Large Ham Hock (sub out for 12 strips cut bacon)
- 1 can Diced Tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel, in Texas)
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- Plenty of Kosher Salt
- Plenty of Fresh Ground Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 3 Tbsp Chopped Cilantro
- 8 cups water
Instructions
- Wash the beans, inspect them, and sort any rocks/debris/bad beans. Soak beans in water in pot overnight. Rinse out for fresh water when ready to cook.
- Place beans in 8 cups of water.
- Add ham hock or bacon. Add onions. Bring to a boil, then reduce.
- Add the can of tomatoes with the juice.
- Add the garlic, cilantro, and plenty of salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook on very low for almost 4-5 hours or until desired tenderness of beans is reached.
- Remove / shred any meat from the ham hock, remove bone from pot.
- My nana always sprinkled in a little sugar toward the end - I always do this, but it's totally optional.