My grandma was known in our family for cooking and one of her specialities was the way she cooked pinto beans.
Part of the fun of spending the night at my grandparents was getting to choose what we had for dinner. My usual request was pinto beans and cornbread. Of course grandma used bacon grease but here is my take using an heirloom bean called Cranberry Beans. I think they are better than pinto beans – they cook even, tender, creamy and work well on top of salads, as a side, and in burritos. I placed a link below on where they can be purchased.
- 1/2 of a bag of cranberry or pinto beans
- Chicken or Vegetable broth
- Kombu, optional
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Cumin
- Salt
- Sort beans by placing on cookie sheet and remove any rocks.
- Place in a large bowl and cover with water. Cover with syran wrap. Let sit on the counter overnight.
- Drain the beans and rinse
- Place beans in large pot and cover with broth filling an inch above beans. (Note -- do not salt or season beans until the end)
- Add a slice of bread size of kombu (seaweed). This will help reduce the gassiness of the beans. Kombu can be purchased in the asian section of most grocery stores.
- Get boiling and then cover and turn down to a simmer for 2 hours.
- Remove kombu as much as possible. There will be some pieces that are too small too remove.
- Continue cooking until beans are tender.
- Add seasonings to taste.
Presoaking Beans
After soaking – All plumped up
Kombu is dried seaweed and often used to decrease the gas that beans can cause. This amount of Kombu will last a long time.
Beans are a wonderful source of fiber and high in antioxidants.
