Never add salt to beans until they are done or almost done. Salt will prolong the cooking time. FYI
To me, 'done' is when you can hole 1 cool bean between your thumb and forefinger and it will collapse totally when you squeeze it. Or you can use a spoon or anything that is flat .... key is there should be little or NO resistance when you push down on bean. You can eat one as well after it's cool .... you should feel NO hardness.
But, please leave off the salt until beans are done or very close to being done.
NOTE: If you want to use salt, use it in water you soak beans in overnight or for a few hours. Then be sure to rinse the beans well before cooking. Some add baking soda as well in the overnight soak.
And doing a few minutes in a pressure cooker will reduce total cooking time as well.
These are very good. The only thing I did differently is to use lard instead of vegetable oil. (I know, I know....but once in a while you just have to go the distance for great taste!) Hubby had a big bowl of these topped with cheese and pickled jalapenos. He loved them. Thanks for a nice recipe.
The best pinto beans ever. It's worth all the steps. I didn't change a thing and they were so tasty and creamy. They were perfectly tender after only 2 hours. You have to keep adding boiling water while they cooked because they did start to get dry after about 30 minutes. Excellent recipe!!
This was easy to make and delicious and I am certain I will be making again. I made the recipe exactly as written except using a can of diced no-added-salt tomatoes. Thank you rnneal.
Love this recipe! Have made it twice in the last couple weeks. the changes made were chicken broth instead of water small jar of salsa in lieu of tomatoes. Soaked beans over night. No o. Added water as needed. Chopped up a small Turkey Ham. Wonderful! Great as a dinner with a salad or a side dish. Thanks
This was a hit with the whole family including the Mexican inlaws
My favorite pinto bean recipe. I do always add a few dashes of chili powder and cumin and use EVOO instead of vegetable oil. Can't wait to dig in to a bowl tonight!
This is a good recipe with a only couple of small changes/additions. I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil and I added a tablespoon of cumin and chili powder for the last hour of cooking.
Really nice! I added some cumin. Not sure if I can taste the tomatoes but they were from the supermarket & looked just ok. I didn't have fresh cilantro. I tried reducing salt but this seems to need the amount called for.
Good but not as flavorful as I had hoped. I followed directions as written.
