Homemade Pinto Beans

Growing up in the southeast part of Arizona, and having a mom from Texas, it was only natural that I grew up eating beans, specifically, pinto beans.

They were part of weekly meals, along with fried potatoes and corn bread. We affectionately called it "Poor Man's Supper".

My grandmother lived in the same small town, and we were fortunate to have lunch with her frequently. You could always expect that Meme would have a pot of beans cooking.

My daughter really enjoys a good pot of pinto beans, but her dad and brother aren't as fond of them.

I talked to her the other day and told her I was bean hungry but didn't want to cook a whole pot for just me, she let me know that she would come home and help me eat beans, so guess what was for supper tonight... yep... a big ol' pot of pinto beans and fresh hot corn bread.

Ingredients:

1 pound dry pinto beans

4-6 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces

garlic powder

salt and pepper

water

Directions:

Spread the dry beans on the counter and pick through them to remove any defective beans or non-bean items, such as pebbles. Place the sorted beans in a colander or strainer and rinse them thoroughly.

Non-bean item, a.k.a a "pebble"

this bean is split in half, and is perfectly fine to cook and eat

Two halves make a whole - again, perfectly fine to cook and eat

Put the bacon into either a large kettle or your Instant Pot, and saute the bacon so that it's just getting crispy.

Add the beans, and cover with water. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste.

If you are cooking the beans on the stove, bring them to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for approximately 4-6 hours, or until the beans are tender and you have a thick "gravy". Make sure to watch them; you will need to add more water throughout the cooking time.

If you are using the Instant Pot, once the bacon has cooked, add the beans and approximately 5 cups of water, then season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Put the lid on, seal it, and set the mode to "manual" and cook for 2 hours. Let the steam release naturally.

Remove the lid, check to make sure the beans are nice and tender. If your gravy isn't thick, leave the lid off and turn the manual to simmer on low for approximately 30 minutes. Cook them down to your desired consistency.

Serve hot with anything you like, cornbread, tortillas, fried potatoes, or just in a bowl with a spoon.

Happy bean eating!