Mexican Pinto Beans

Remember those amazing street tacos I shared with you before hostpocolypse took down my site? Well, I served those bad boys with some super authentic, super amazing, Mexican Pinto Beans. They are seriously among my fave sides to pretty much any dish. And on a day like today (holla, Minnesota -25, don’t miss THAT), these beans are the perfect way to heat up the house, while simultaneously making your stomach crave the spicy goodness that is homemade pinto beans.

The great thing about these beans is that although they take awhile to cook, they are SO EASY to make. There are very few ingredients involved, and all they all get tossed in the pot at the very beginning. It really doesn’t get much easier than this big ol’ pot of delicious.

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Salt pork wasn’t something I was familiar with until this dish, and in all honesty, it conjured up images of playing Oregon Trail as a kid. My little people stayed alive because of all that salted pork, yo. Salt pork adds so much flavor though. It’s like bacon, kind of, but thicker, and saltier. It’s super tender too, because of the fattiness of it. Just chop some thick slices and toss them in the water.

The water level will rise as you add in the other ingredients as well, so you could simply add the beer with the beans, throw the rest of the ingredients in, and then add the water. You know, if you’re worried that your water might spill over the top.

We keep an extra pot of boiling water on hand in case the water level of the beans gets too low, which can happen, since it’s boiling for four hours. I mention it in the recipe itself, but just in case, don’t even add cold, or non-boiling water to a boiling pot of beans. It will shock the beans and stop the cooking process, resulting in tough beans, no matter how long you cook them. It’s gross. Trust me. So be sure to add boiling to boiling.

When it’s done, spoon that goodness, liquid and all, into bowls, top with Queso Fresco, cilantro, and a small dab of butter. Then get to enjoying some of the best Mexican pinto beans around.