There is no way to know how many pots of pinto beans I have boiled over the years. Well, let me think. If I multiply once a week for 30 years, that would be well over 1,500 pots. I can’t even imagine how many individual pinto beans that is. As infinite as the stars in the sky…
Occasionally people will ask me how I make pinto beans, which I would compare to asking me advice on how to walk. I forgot when I learned, and the process is so automatic now that I simply perform the routine out of habit.
Classic Texas Pinto Beans Take Time
Making your own pinto beans is time consuming, but it forces you to hang around the house for several hours while they cook. I usually bury myself deep in some domestic chore like cleaning (ugh) or paying bills (even more ugh) while I wait for the pinto beans to simmer to perfection.
I know there are different variations such as frijoles a la charra or borracho beans, but this recipe for pinto beans is very basic. Plus, bear in mind this is half the amount I usually make.
Because beans take so long to boil, I usually make a double batch, but there is no problem consuming them. Entertaining on the ranch (which we do often) always includes pinto beans, as they can inexpensively feed a crowd. If we are not entertaining, then we freeze half for later, once the beans have completely cooled. It is always a welcome recollection knowing we have home made back-up beans waiting when we need them.
And yes, pressure cookers and insta-pots shorten the bean cooking time. But I like my old clay bean pot, and there is a sense of comfort in seeing it perched on the hob once a week. Why should we always be in a rush? Hanging around the house while the beans cook is good for me.
Check out my video where I make beans over a mesquite fire, which takes about 3 hours to boil. If you are having a hamburger cookout where you only need a small fire for 30 minutes of cooking time, consider pre-boiling your beans for 2 hours, and then finishing them on the fire. Or, you can simply reheat your cooked beans over a mesquite fire, and they will still pick up some of the mesquite aroma. In the video, I am using Anazasi beans, which taste the same as pinto beans, but with more defined markings on their skin.
Pinto Beans are deliciously slow cooked
Of course, you can buy canned beans. Of course. But you can also buy canned milk and canned vegetables too. It is your choice. However, you would miss out on that delicious home time when you can center your thoughts, and let your family know that the simplicity of being still has value. Making your own beans is a sweet little habit that permeates your home with an aroma that signals love and domestic togetherness.
Classic Texas Pinto Beans
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Vegetables and Legumes
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Latin American
Ingredients
1 lb. dried pinto beans (500g)
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 tomato, cored and chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt to taste (start with 1 tbsp./12gr)
Optional ingredients:
Handful chopped cilantro
2-3 strips bacon, chopped
2-3 fresh jalapeños
Instructions
The pinto beans need to be inspected and picked over to check for small bits of dirt before cooking. Afterwards, place the sorted beans in a colander, and rinse thoroughly.
Place all of the ingredients in a 4 qt. (4lt.) clay pot, stock pot or saucepan and cover with approximately 3 qt. (3lt.) Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the beans boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and cover, leaving the cover slightly tilted to allow the steam and pressure to escape.
Check the water level and stir the beans every 15-20 minutes, adding water 2 cups at a time if the water level seems low.
Simmer the beans for a total of 2½-3 hours. After boiling for 2 hours, test the beans by making sure they are tender and soft by tasting one. Continue to cook for 30 more minutes if the beans taste undercooked. Adjust the salt if needed. Once the beans are completely cooked, remove the beans from the heat, and allow them to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
I get asked all the time about lead in clay cooking pots. I sold them for many years in my store, and have had endless conversations with experts and artisans, so I feel fairly educated on the subject.
Because clay is a natural material, it always has a small amount of naturally occurring lead. Unglazed clay pottery has lead, but some glazed potteries have just a little bit more, as lead is a component of some of the cheaper glazes used in Latin America.
Professional cooks love clay cookware as the resulting dish is always superior to the result of metal cookware. Clay is an insulator and not a conductor, so clay delivers heat to your food in a gentler fashion. Imagine clay cookware as a jacuzzi spa for your food. The beans have a mellow, tender texture.
Using clay cookware is a personal choice. The types of clay cookware that the USDA and FDA will allow for import for food use in the United States are strictly regulated. Stricter regulations exist for clay cookware in the European Union. Clay cookware is never lead free, but what is legally available in U.S. markets is regulated.
So I feel confident in recommending La Chamba cookware if you are looking for a clay bean pot from Latin America. These unglazed, burnished pots are manufactured with natural clay in Colombia, and are approved for food use by the USDA.
Again, using clay cookware is NOT required for making a batch of pinto beans. You can get very good results from metal cookware. But if you would like to use a clay pot, I am adding the link to the cookware that I would recommend.
I made your bean recipe yesterday. I couldn’t have been more pleased. Worried that I didn’t have any more bacon as my Mr. had used it up the day before. Plenty of flavor without it. We had them for supper last night and I had them for breakfast this morning. I have always wondered about the salt /no salt theory, when cooking beans. I’ve made them both ways. The beans were from a friend in Colorado. Beautiful.
I’m also a So Tx girl, and have grown up on this type of food. Part of my family lives in the monte just outside Concepcion (La Chona). I pass through that Fal check point, often, coming from So. Padre Island. Loving your stories and can identify. Es la vida en El Valle. Gracias
Hey Linda! Thanks for your sweet note! We make beans here every week, more often when the boys are home. They eat SO much! South Texas is still here, slow as it ever has been. I don’t really miss the bacon in beans, if you add the garlic, onion and tomatoes, it seems to turn out just as delicious! Let me know if there are any other home recipes you are looking for. Hugs from “el monte!” MG
Miss the Rio Grande, and the FOOD, so delicious, so local. The beans in every cookout was a staple , still is even here in California where I reside now.
Hi, sorry for the delayed reponse I was traveling, I was in California, your new home! Yep, gotta have our frijoles, they are part of every meal. Thanks for your note!!
MG
Hi, am I boiling or simmering the beans for two hours or both? This is my understanding:
1. Bring all ingredients to a boil
2. Cover and summer
3. Boil the beans for 2hrs
4. Simmer the beans for 2.5-3hrs.
Is this correct? I’ve made beans before, but I got confused reading the directions. Thank you!
Hi, I went back and changed the recipe. Simply cook for a total of 2.5-3 hours. Check them after 2 hours to see how they are doing. Lately I have been using my husband’s Instant Pot, which is very convenient. Hope this helps!
MG
Melissa! So glad to see you on the web. I miss your TV show (yeah, that was a while ago) and especially your shop at the Pearl. I love the simplicity of your bean recipe. I’m always trying and tweaking pinto bean recipes (in lieu of having a job or a real hobby – LOL) (retired, not unemployed). I thought about using Fiesta Pinto Bean Seasoning, but the amazon reviews said it makes them taste more like ranch beans, which I don’t want. Keep well, and keep cooking, honey!
Thanks Evelyn! I am working on new stuff here at hte ranch, and it is so fun to reconnect with people. I have a new video series, so if you have any question, send them in! just keep an eye on Instagram, which is where I do all my posting! Hope you are well! and thanks so much for your note!!
MG
Hello Melissa,
I am giving a party for a young couple getting married. They live in Texas so of course the Texas theme in decoration and food is my plan. I found your site in searching for a pinto bean recipe. It looks delicious. I will be substituting liquid smoke for the bacon since we keep kosher. I am having some difficulty finding a good Texas brisket BBQ recipe. Sweet or tangy sauce? I’m in Virginia so I could really use your guidance. Thank you so much.
Have a good weekend.
Helen
Hi there Helen! The bacon is really unnecessary for this recipe, its just a local preference. Liquid smoke would be a good substitution, but we don’t use it as my husband is allergic to that product. Vegetarian beans without bacon or liquid smoke are perfectly fine, in fact, I made some yesterday with just garlic, onions and tomatoes, salt and pepper. Make sure the dried beans haven’t been sitting on the shelf too long – that will affect the quality of the dish. As far as the bbq sauce, or brisket recipe, thanks for the heads up. I will post one. But the quickie recipe would be to buy a big brisket that has a good cap of fat, don’t trim. If it is too lean, the brisket will be dry. Place the brisket in a double layer of foil with the fat cap on top (so it will baste the meat while it renders and cooks.) Wrap up the brisket with the foil and bake for about 40-60 minutes per lb at 300F. We usually trim the brisket after cooking, before serving. For the sauce here is my recipe, I will get his posted on the blog soon. Thanks and have a great party!
3 Pepper BBQ Sauce
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 large rib celery, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
2 long red dried chilies (chile de arbol), stem removed, seeds reserved
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup vinegar
1 cup ketchup
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. dry prepared mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbls. Tabasco sauce
In a saucepan, saute onion, celery, and bell pepper in oil. Add dried chiles, and a few of the seeds (the more seeds you add, the spicier the resulting sauce). Add the garlic, and saute for about 3 more minutes. Add remaining ingredients, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand for 10 minutes.
Puree mixture in food processor, making sure no large pieces remain.
Note: This sauce is not too spicy for children, but you can omit the chili and/or the chili seeds altogether if you wish.