May 18, 2009
About Pinto Beans
Indian and Spanish cooks in the old Southwest all relied on large amounts of various dried beans, but there are fewer varieties of beans in the modern Southwestern diet than in the past. The most common bean is the pinto bean. Its name means “painted” in Spanish, referring to the mottled brown-and-tan coloring of the raw bean. Freshly harvested pinto beans are not to be missed! Even though they will keep, we encourage you to use them now—their flavor will be simply outstanding.
Pinto Beans
2 cups pinto beans, sorted and soaked
½ cup chopped onion
1 dried chile, optional
Salt
Put the beans in a soup pot, cover them with 2 to 3 quarts water, and boil hard for 10 minutes.
Remove any scum, then add the onion and chile.
Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until they’re partially tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
Add 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and continue cooking until they’re soft, 15 to 30 minutes more.
Serve them with a little of the broth.
Leftover beans should not be allowed to sit around for very long, since they turn sour rather quickly.