Amaze your friends! Clear the ready room! The Best Bean Recipe ever!
OK, this one is not for the faint of heart, but is easy to make, damn damn tasty, and makes plenty of leftovers. It's got good fiber and decent protein, too (but not exactly low fat). It was also the winning entry in the 1999 Sombrero Festival's Frijolympics in Brownsville TX, a place that knows its beans....
After you try it a few times you might want to adjust some of your favorite ingredients (I bump up the garlic, chiles, and the cilantro), but it's tough to argue with the baseline recipe.
2 pounds dried pinto beans
1.5 gallons of water
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2.5 pounds (yes, pounds) of bacon, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
8 serrano chiles, thinly sliced
1 bunch cilantro
Salt to taste
In a 10-12 qt stockpot, soak the beans in 1/2 gallon of water for 2 hours. Add another gallon of water and bring to a boil. Add the garlic and cook until the beans are tender, about 90 mins.
Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a large skillet until the fat has been rendered - the bacon should not brown. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels; set aside. Add the onions, tomatoes, chiles, and salt to the hot bacon fat in the skillet. Cook over medium heat until the onions have softened, about 8-12 mins. Add the onion mixture and the bacon to the beans and continue to cook for 30-45 minutes, but not to the point where the beans start to break apart. You may need to add additional water so that the bean mixture maintains a soupy consistency.
Add the cilantro and remove from the heat. Let the beans rest for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Y buen provecho!
