For many years, I did not make this recipe, boy was I missing out! I prefer pinto beans vs red beans. You can cook these in the crockpot or on the stove (as long as you are there to monitor the water level). I usually make a double batch so that I can freeze some for soup or refried beans later in the week.
INGREDIENTS for overnight soak
- bag of pinto beans
- 2 T garlic powder
- 2 tsp Cumin
INGREDIENTS for cooking
- 2-3 small green onions, chopped
- 1 cup fresh Cilantor, chopped or 2 T dried cilantro
- 4 pieces of uncooked bacon, cut up
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, more if you prefer it spicier
- 2 T Cumin
- 2 T Mexican Oregano
The night before rinse your beans then in a large bowl or pan add your beans, soaking ingredients above (garlic, and Cumin) and enough water to cover the beans generously in a large pot. Cover and leave on the counter overnight.
Cooking day: Add salt, garlic, onions, pepper, cilantro, red pepper flakes, cumin, Mexican Oregano and bacon. Fill the pot with enough water to generously cover the beans. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 3-4 hours, adding water as needed to keep the beans moist and to ensure that it does not burn.
Crockpot: Rinse the beans, add beans and above cooking ingredients to the crockpot. Fill the crockpot with enough water to generously cover the beans, otherwise, you take a chance of your beans becoming to dry or burning. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Helpful tips:
- Soaking cuts the cooking time by as much as 70%, so most soaked beans will pressure cook in as little as 8 to 15 minutes.
- If you fail to soak the beans first, you can still have beans that day, it will just extend the cooking time.
- Soaking helps further break down those pesky oligosaccharides, the indigestible sugars that cause gas in beans, as well as removing tannins, phytic acid and tryspin inhibitors.
