Southern Pinto Beans Recipes

Steps:

• Cover pinto beans with water in a large bowl. Soak beans for 4 hours, changing water every 30 to 45 minutes. Drain.
• Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add pinto beans, ham hock, and kosher salt to the pot. Pour in more water if needed to cover ingredients by at least 1 inch.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are just tender, 2 to 3 hours.
• Remove ham hock from beans; cut meat from the bone, chop the ham, and return to pot.
• Stir tomato sauce and brown sugar into the beans. Continue to simmer until beans are tender and flavors are blended, about 1 more hour.

Steps:

• Cover beans with water and soak overnight, or 6-8 hours.
• In the morning, drain and rinse the beans, discard soaking water, and put beans in slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients, including chicken broth.
• Cover. Cook on low 10 hours, or on High 5 hours.
• Transfer 2 cups of the bean soup to a food processor or blender and puree. Return puree to the slow-cooker. Heat on High an additional 30 minutes. (This is an easy way to thicken the soup.).
• Serve with cornbread and fried potatoes.
• TO PRE-PREP: Combine 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, and 1 bay leaf, and store in a plastic storage bag until ready to cook. Having these dry ingredients packaged ahead of time will make seasoning the beans as easy as pouring the seasonings into the slow-cooker along with the beans and chicken broth.
• TO STORE: Bean soups keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to three months. The flavors are even better after standing. When reheating, thin with a little water if necessary.

Steps:

• Rinse beans. Place beans in pot and cover them three times higher with water. Bring to a rapid boil for five minutes covered. Turn off stove. DO NOT REMOVE LID.
• Let the pot set one hour.
• Turn burner back on to slightly more than a simmer. Add ham bone, onion, and pepper.
• Boil covered for two hours. Add more water if necessary.
• Remove ham bone. Remove all ham and place back into pot. Discard bone.
• Turn down heat to simmer and add approximately 2 tablespoons brown sugar, or more. Now let beans cook as long as needed.
• Season to taste.
• I serve with Baby's Jalapeño Cornbread, Recipe #221836.

Steps:

• Place beans in a large Dutch oven, and add water to cover.
• Bring to a boil, and cook, uncovered, 30 minutes.
• Drain.
• Add ham hock, tomatoes, broth, and next 10 ingredients to Dutch oven with beans; cook 55 minutes or until beans are tender.
• Serve over rice with Southwestern Cornbread(no sugar)in a cast iron skillet.
• *Dried pinto beans may be substituted for fresh; however, wash and sort beans; then soak overnight in water to cover.