Slow Cooked Pinto Beans

I love Mexican food.  I'm slightly obsessed with it.  I've always loved tacos and practically lived off Taco Bell in high school (Chili Cheese Burritos, who remembers those?).  I grew up eating Old El Paso taco kits.  But I didn't really begin to appreciate "good" Mexican food until I became a regular at Casa Blanca restaurant in Huntsville, Alabama.  Their food is crazy good and has become the standard by which I measure all other similar restaurants.  Their food also became the standard that I try to uphold in my own kitchen.

This recipe for Slow Cooked Pinto Beans is a great example of how I raised the bar for the Mexican meals I create in my home.  Yes, you can buy refried beans in a can.  You can even doctor them until they resemble something marginally better than canned beans.  Canned beans will never hold a candle to this recipe.  Once you try these beans you will never buy another can of refried beans.  Unless your slow-cooker breaks, you've just given birth or there's a blizzard in July...that's it, those are the only acceptable reasons for buying canned beans after you try homemade beans.

Best of all, they are stupid easy to make.

Slow Cooked Pinto Beans

1 pound dried pinto beans

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 onion, diced (or 1 teaspoon onion powder)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

4 bouillon cubes (I prefer chicken flavor)

1 tablespoon vegetable shortening or lard

Approximately 5 cups water

Salt, to taste

Pour the entire bag of beans into a strainer or colander.  Sort through the beans and remove and stones or odd looking beans.  Thoroughly rinse the beans under running water.

Add all ingredients except water and salt to slow cooker. Add enough water to cover the beans by about an inch or inch and a half.  Set cooker to HIGH and cook for 6 hours.

Check on the beans a few times throughout the cooking process.  If the water level drops below the beans, add more water.  Other than that don't take the lid off your cooker, no matter how good it smells, as this will require extra time be added to the cook time.

At the end of the cooking time, check the beans for doneness.  They should be tender all the way through.

If you plan on serving you beans whole you should add your salt now.  If you plan to mash your beans for refried beans then continue reading.

Drain off the cooking liquid but reserve it as you will need to add some liquid back as you mash. The amount depends on your desired consistency.  I use a potato masher because I like having some whole beans left post mashing.  If you desire a smoother consistency you may want to employ a blender or food processor.  Either way once you've reached your desired consistency you will need to add salt to your taste.  I usually add about 1 teaspoon worth.

Click HERE for a printable version of this recipe.

That's it.  Seriously, that's all there is too it.  I think the hardest part of the entire process is draining the beans after they cook only because the crock of my slow cooker is hot and heavy.  You're not exactly slaving away to make these bad boys but your diners will be impressed.

This makes a big batch.  I usually divide it and freeze half for a later date.  Like maybe a week later....seriously we eat these at least twice a month.

Enjoy!