Name: Grammie's Best Pinto Beans Recipe
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 135 min
Ingredients: 4 cups Dry Pinto Beans; Water (*see directions); 2 large Dried Bay Leaves; 4 tablespoons Bacon Fat; 2 medium Onions (diced small); 8 cloves Fresh Garlic (crushed and chopped fine); 1 pinch Crushed Red Pepper Flakes ((optional, but recommended)); 2 1/2 teaspoons Dried Thyme; 2 1/2 teaspoons Sweet Paprika (*(Use Smoked Paprika if using Olive Oil for vegan beans)); 2 teaspoons Cumin; 3/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper; 3 teaspoons Sea Salt ((possibly more to taste at the end of cooking, but go easy) ))

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Grammie's Best Pinto Beans Recipe

Grammie's Best Pinto Beans can be served mashed similarly to refried beans or left whole. Either way, they are perfectly seasoned and delicious! Use them as a side dish, a primary filling, or as a layer in any number of other recipes.

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Servings 3 quarts

Ingredients

4 cups Dry Pinto Beans
Water *see directions
2 large Dried Bay Leaves
4 tablespoons Bacon Fat Crisp a few pieces of bacon if you don't have any on hand. *(Alternately, use Olive Oil if wanting beans to be vegan)
2 medium Onions diced small
8 cloves Fresh Garlic crushed and chopped fine
1 pinch Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (optional, but recommended)
2 1/2 teaspoons Dried Thyme
2 1/2 teaspoons Sweet Paprika *(Use Smoked Paprika if using Olive Oil for vegan beans)
2 teaspoons Cumin
3/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
3 teaspoons Sea Salt (possibly more to taste at the end of cooking, but go easy) )

Instructions

Spread out your dry pinto beans and check for any rocks, debris, or malformed beans and discard. Rinse beans in a colander.
Add to a large pot and cover with water, 2 inches above settled beans. Cover with a tilted lid.
Bring beans up to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Once simmering, turn off the heat and allow beans to soak in hot water for 1 hour.
Pour off any soaking water left on beans. Add fresh water to cover leveled beans plus an additional 1 1/2 inches. Add bay leaves and simmer beans gently over medium-low heat for 1-2 hours, depending on how old the beans are. Periodically test. Beans should cook to be completely soft (not hard or grainy), but still intact.
While beans are simmering, prepare aromatics for cooking.
In a heavy dutch oven, add bacon fat or render fresh fat by crisping a few pieces of bacon. Remove bacon and set aside for another use.
Add onions and red pepper flakes (if using) to fat. Saute onions, beginning to caramelize. Add garlic and saute gently, not browning but cooking until soft.
Add thyme, paprika, cumin, and black pepper toasting the seasonings a bit. Add salt and a splash or two of the bean water to combine well.
Carefully ladle the hot cooked beans into the dutch oven with seasonings. Gently stir together until well combined.
If mashing beans, carefully use a potato masher. We like our beans rustic and chunky, so I only mash about half of them.
Taste and add salt if desired. Add water if beans are too dry to lightly simmer without scorching. Cover and simmer very gently on low, about 15 minutes.
Give beans a stir. Re-cover and allow beans to rest with no heat, another 15 minutes. Beans are now ready to use as desired. They will taste all the more amazing and full-flavored on the next day or beyond. Use freshly cooked beans within 3-5 days or freeze leftovers.