Favourite Bacon Pinto Beans

Bacon pinto beans is the Texan-style pot of beans that proves long slow cooking and a few smart aromatics can transform a bag of dry pinto beans into a deeply flavored side or main.

The overnight soak is critical. Twelve hours in cold water softens the pinto beans, reduces cooking time by hours, and produces beans with more even, creamy interiors.

The magic move is browning the bacon and wilting the vegetables together in the rendered fat before adding to the beans. The bacon-fat-cooked onion, celery, garlic, red bell pepper, and scallions form a flavorful base that infuses every bean during the long simmer.

A dash of red chile powder gives a quiet southwestern warmth without making the beans spicy, just enough to round out the savory profile.

Salt at the end, never at the beginning. Salt early in the cook can keep beans tough by interfering with the softening of their skins.

Serve with cornbread and pickled jalapenos for the full Tex-Mex side plate, or scoop over rice with a sharp cheese for a complete meal. Top with chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime just before serving.

Kitchen Tips

• Sort the dried beans for stones before soaking, the occasional pebble does sneak in.
• Use a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, thin pots scorch the beans during the long simmer.
• Keep the beans covered with at least an inch of water at all times, top up as needed during cooking.
• The beans freeze beautifully, portion into containers for quick weeknight starts.

Variations

• Add a ham hock in place of or alongside bacon for deeper smoky flavor.
• Stir in a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies in the last 30 minutes for a more complex broth.
• Top with chopped raw white onion and shredded cheddar for the classic Tex-Mex finish.