You only need to rinse the beans for 30 to 60 seconds. The main purpose of this rinse is to stir up and loosen any major pieces of debris. Debris usually appears in the form of small stones. You do not have to examine the beans too carefully during this process, especially if you purchased them from a trusted source, but you should keep your eyes open for anything that looks out of place.
It is essential that you use a large bowl so that the beans have plenty of room to expand. As a general rule, you should cover the 1 lb (450 g) of pinto beans with at least 8 cups (2 l) of water.
You can use a refrigerator, but a secluded corner of the kitchen counter will work just as well if not better. Soaking the beans softens them, thereby creating a shorter cooking time while preserving as many nutrients as possible. The process also helps clean them and removes indigestible, gas-creating sugars known as oligosaccharides
The dirt and oligosaccharides will have seeped into the water the beans soaked in, making it unsuitable for use as a cooking liquid. Rinsing the beans also makes them cleaner and safer to eat. If you plan on reusing the pot you soaked the beans in to cook the beans, give the pot a quick rinse, as well.
The water level should be high enough to cover the beans completely. If you suspect that more water is needed, you can add up to an additional 2 quarts To cut the cooking time down by 15 to 30 minutes, add 1/2 tsp (2. 5 ml) of baking soda to the cooking water. Stir gently to dissolve it
You could also use 1/4 cup (60 ml) of bacon grease instead of the margarine. If you were to add bacon or salt pork, you would add it now and do so in place of the margarine. The red pepper is only optional, but it does add a hint of kick and flavor to otherwise plain beans. For best results, add the salt during this second round of cooking rather than during the first round. Adding the salt too early could toughen the beans.
Cooked beans are also quite fragrant. If the beans are not finished cooking, you can continue letting them simmer for up to 30 more minutes, checking after each period of 10 minutes to determine if the beans are tender yet.
Slow cooking the beans is less traditional, but it will result in beans that are more tender and creamier. The red pepper is only optional, but adding it does provide the pinto beans with a nice kick. If desired, you could also add margarine to beans for a touch of added creaminess, but the pinto beans will end up being creamy even without the margarine. You can grease the slow cooker with butter or cooking spray before cooking the beans to make your clean-up easier later on. Similarly, you could also use specially-designed slow cooker liners to prevent the pinto beans from sticking.
Do not open the slow cooker as the beans cook. If you do, valuable steam will escape and you may need to add an additional 30 minutes onto the cooking time. The total time largely depends on the size and age of the pinto beans you use. When done, the beans should appear tender but they should not be falling apart. You can test your beans after the 7-hour mark with a fork to determine how tender they are.
By letting the beans sit, they will absorb more liquid and become creamier Leave the lid of the slow cooker on to help the beans stay warm
Use 1 slice of thick-cut bacon per 1 cup (250 ml) of dry pinto beans. Cut the bacon into 1-inch (2. 5-cm) pieces before adding it to the simmering beans Similarly, cut 1/4 lb (115 g) of salt ham into 1-inch (2. 5-cm) cubes or strips and add the pork to 1 lb (450 g) of simmering pinto beans. Pinto beans prepared with pork products are often prepared with chopped onion, as well. Chop up 1/2 to 1 full onion per 1 lb (450 g) of pinto beans.
A few dashes of chili powder or paprika can give your beans an added punch Garlic powder or onion powder are other popular choices. For an even stronger kick, add chopped jalapeno peppers or a few dashes of hot sauce
Sauté 1 minced garlic clove and 1/2 an onion, diced, in olive oil until tender. Add the beans and a little of the cooking liquid the beans sat in. Cook for a few minutes before mashing You could also puree the beans in a blender instead of mashing them with a
