Cooked in a Micaceous Cooking Pot
1 cup pinto beans soaked overnight
3 cups water
3-5 cloves garlic chopped
bits of bacon, ham, beef (optional)
salt and pepper
Oil (olive or vegetable)
Fresh Colorado Pinto Beans
Oil micaceous cooking pot all inside the pot, and heat. Then add beans that have been soaked and drained. Add water, cover, and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. When water comes to a rolling boil, turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 2-3 hours or until beans are tender. Stir beans occasionally.
When beans are tender, add garlic and chopped meats. Simmer at least another hour until liquid is thick and beans are very soft and skins are loose. Before serving, add salt (approx 1 tsp, depending on if salted meats are used) and pepper to taste.
Tips:
- Soak beans as long as possible (e.g., from late afternoon to late morning) before cooking, keeping water cool.
- If you need to add more liquid during cooking, be sure it’s boiling before adding to the beans.
- Add sauteed chopped onions, celery, carrots about 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Add seasonings such as cumin (up to 1 1/2 tsp), coriander (up to 1/2 tsp) and red chile (to taste) any time during cooking. The earlier you add the seasonings, the more the flavor cooks into the beans and the hotter the chile will become. Remember to compliment the flavor of the beans with other foods you are serving.