- 1 pound dry pinto beans, about 2-1/3
cups
- 2 quarts of tap water
- 2 to 4 ounces margarine or bacon or
salt pork or 1/4 cup bacon grease
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Soak the beans in 2 quarts of cold water
overnight, or in 2 quarts of boiling water
for an hour or two. After soaking, or the
next day, bring the beans to a boil over
medium high heat. Reduce the heat, so the
beans merely simmer. Cover and simmer for
half an hour. Then add the margarine or
bacon, salt and pepper. Cover again and
simmer for another 45 minutes to an hour.
The beans should be tender and fragrant.
Bite into one to see if it is cooked though.
When they are tender, they are ready to
serve.
I always serve these beans with
Corn Bread and
Mixed Greens. This is just about my
favorite meal in the whole wide world. Some
folks squirt ketchup on these beans when
they eat them, that is a fine southern
tradition, although I prefer them without
it. The small amount of bacon adds to the
protein quality of the beans, and it also
turns the bean broth into something called
pot licker. That means the juice is so good,
you want to lick the pot. Soak up the bean
juice with your corn bread.
Babies of about a year old are fond of
cornbread mashed up very smoothly in a
little pot licker from the beans. Just make
sure to cool it down and mash it very
smooth. It was a favorite of all of my kids
when they were learning to feed themselves.
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