Pinto Beans Recipe
PINTO BEAN RECIPE
and Refried Beans Recipe
The roots of this recipe are buried deep in the mountains of West Virginia, but it found it�s way to me over 39 years ago. My husband still insists that nothing sticks to your ribs on a cold winters day longer than pinto beans, skillet fried potatoes, warm corn bread and a cold glass of buttermilk. 2 pound package of dry pinto beans 4-quarts of water 1 whole onion 1-tablespoon of salt 2 ham bouillon cubes for flavor, or you can use ham fat, ham chunks, deli ham, ham bone, bacon or bacon bits Dash of Worcestershire sauce 1-tablespoon of liquid smoke Water as needed Open the package of pinto beans and rinse them under cool water to clean and remove any debris. It is not unusual for a small stone or two to be present in the package by accident. Add the dry beans to a large pot, then add 4-quarts of water, salt, onion and ham or bacon flavoring. Cover the pot with a lid and bring the pinto beans to a boil. When the beans begin to boil, begin timing them. The beans should be tender in 2 hours. Let the beans boil for approximately 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium, stirring occasionally. After the beans have cooked for 1 hour, check the water level. Knowing that they will need to cook another hour, consider adding a little water at this time. Add water 1-cup at a time, as you do not want the water to thin out the bean gruel or broth. It is better to add 1-cup and then let the beans cook more, and then add another cup 15 minutes later than to add too much water at one time that even evaporation cannot remove. After an hour and a half, taste-test the beans for tenderness. The bean gruel or broth should be thickening up, like thin gravy. At this time add a dash of Worcestershire sauce and the tablespoon of liquid smoke. Reduce heat to low, stir, cover and continue cooking for 30 more minutes, adding a little bit of water if necessary. After 30 minutes, taste-test the beans for tenderness and flavor. The beans should be done, if not, cook a little longer on low, adding a little water again if necessary. Once you are satisfied with the tenderness of the beans, turn off the heat. If the liquid level is correct, the beans will look as though they are mixed in with bean gravy. Another words, you will not have to fish through the bean juice to find the beans. This is the time to spice the beans up if you think they need it with a little more liquid smoke, a little salt or seasoning salt, maybe a little garlic powder. If possible, allow the beans to sit undisturbed covered, for 30-40 minutes before serving. This really allows the flavor to set in. Excellent served with hot, buttered, cornbread. Refrigerate leftovers. Refried Beans Leftover cooked pinto beans with bean broth 1 small onion chopped 1-tablespoon of bacon drippings or vegetable oil Season with a dash of lemon pepper and a few dabs of hot sauce Shredded Monterey Jack cheese (Optional) Add whatever serving size of pinto beans you�re going to need to a medium-sized bowl. Use a potato masher and mash the beans and bean broth together, stir and mash again until the all the beans and bean broth are mashed to your satisfaction. Set aside. Choose a skillet large enough to accommodate your beans. Add about a tablespoon of bacon drippings or vegetable oil to the skillet and add the chopped onion. Cook over medium heat, lightly browning the onion. Add the mashed beans to the skillet and blend the beans into the chopped onion. Stir and blend while cooking. Cook until hot, thick and pasty. Remove from heat, season with a dash of lemon pepper and a dab of hot sauce. (Optional) Add shredded Monterey Jack cheese across the top of the beans in the skillet at this time and cover with a lid for 3-4 minutes, while the cheese melts. The pinto beans are now refried beans. Serve as a dip, a side dish, or inside a warm flour tortilla.
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