Chef John's Santa Maria-Style Beans

Name: Chef John's Santa Maria-Style Beans
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 135 min
Total time: 635 min
Ingredients: 1 pound dry pink beans (such as pinquito); cold water to cover; 2 slices peppered bacon, diced; 0.5 cup diced smoked ham; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes; 0.5 cup water; 0.25 cup ketchup; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 teaspoon dry mustard; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 0.5 teaspoon chipotle chile powder; 1 pinch dried oregano

4.6

(33)

26 Reviews

3 Photos

Classic Santa Maria-style beans are made with a special variety of pink beans called pinquitos. These 'little pink' beans are prepared in a spicy, smoky, tomato/chili sauce that's spiked with not one, but two kinds of pork. Santa Maria beans have come into my life relatively late, so I plan on making up for lost time this barbecue season.

By Chef John

Updated on October 26, 2022

3

Prep Time:

20 mins

Cook Time:

2 hrs 15 mins

Additional Time:

8 hrs

Total Time:

10 hrs 35 mins

Servings:

6

Yield:

6 servings

Jump to Nutrition Facts

Ingredients

1 pound dry pink beans (such as pinquito)
cold water to cover
2 slices peppered bacon, diced
½ cup diced smoked ham
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
½ cup water
¼ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chipotle chile powder (Optional)
1 pinch dried oregano

Directions

Place pink beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Drain.
Place drained beans in a stockpot with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook until almost completely tender, about 1 hour 45 minutes.
While beans are simmering, cook and stir bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until cooked through but not crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add ham; cook and stir until ham is heated through, about 1 minute. Stir garlic into ham mixture and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add tomatoes, 1/2 cup water, ketchup, sugar, dry mustard, paprika, chili powder, salt, chipotle chile powder, and oregano. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook until flavors blend, about 30 minutes.
Drain beans, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Combine beans, reserved liquid, and tomato mixture in the beans stockpot; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and mixture has thickened, about 30 minutes.

Chef John

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

344	Calories
5g	Fat
56g	Carbs
20g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Calories 344
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5g	6%
Saturated Fat 1g	7%
Cholesterol 10mg	3%
Sodium 839mg	36%
Total Carbohydrate 56g	21%
Dietary Fiber 11g	38%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 20g
Vitamin C 12mg	58%
Calcium 133mg	10%
Iron 7mg	39%
Potassium 1307mg	28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.